Windows 10's spy software now updating to include Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users

By Dondi Tiples, Christian Post Contributor Thursday, September 10, 2015

Reports have emerged Windows 10's surveillance software has been updating to include Windows 7, 8 and 8.1.

Earlier this August, Windows 10 users began receiving news pointing out Microsoft's new operating system incorporated spy software capability that worked to silently capture and send user data to the company's servers. Based on the items stated in its Terms and Conditions, users unwittingly agreed to upon setting up the new OS on their systems.

"We will access, disclose and preserve personal data," a clause in the form states, prompting privacy-conscious users to avoid updating to Windows 10 and sticking to Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 instead

However, it appears Microsoft is bent on applying its new surveillance software to older Windows versions as well and it has recently released a number of updates for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 containing versions of the Windows10 spy software.

Two particular updates, the KB3075249 and the KB3080149, give older Windows versions the capability to send users' data to Microsoft's servers.

Based on information from Microsoft 10's Support Page, the KB3075249 update "adds telemetry points" to the Windows version's UAC, or User Account Control to enable it to collect information via consent.exe in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 versions.

The KB3080149, on the other hand, is an update geared at "customer experience and diagnostic telemetry," which works by updating an older Windows version's Diagnostic and Telemetry tracking service.

Once users have installed these updates on their existing Windows versions, they will function in the same manner the Windows 10 surveillance software does to collect user data and send it to their servers.

The two updates are only among a number of other updates Microsoft has released, with some of the files forcefully updating Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 versions to Windows 10, and granting Microsoft access to user data.