FYI:
From Lauren Weinstein's Blog
(http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000681.html), there's a long posting
about the "Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7" that
begins and ends as follows:
-begin-
February 11, 2010
Who Owns Your PC? New Anti-Piracy Windows 7 Update "Phones Home" to
Microsoft Every 90 Days
Greetings. Sometimes a seemingly small software update can usher in a
whole new world. When Microsoft shortly pushes out a Windows 7 update
with the reportedly innocuous title "Update for Microsoft Windows
(KB71033)" -- it will be taking your Windows 7 system where it has never
been before.
And it may not be a place where you want to go.
-/major snip/-
While I certainly appreciate Microsoft's piracy problems, and the
negative impact that these have both on the company and consumers, I
believe that the approach represented by this kind of escalation on the
part of Microsoft and others -- into what basically amounts to a
perpetual anti-piracy surveillance regime embedded within already
purchased consumer equipment -- is entirely unacceptable.
-end-
The Windows Blog posting mentioned in that posting is here:
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/genuinewindows/archive/2010/02/11/windows-activation-technologies-update-for-windows-7.aspx.
Two points from it are:
"I'd like to stress that *the Update is voluntary,* which means that you
can choose not to install it when you see it appear on Windows Update. I
also want to stress that installing this update will not jeopardize your
privacy; although the update contacts Microsoft's servers to check for
new threats as I outline below, the information we receive from PCs
during these checks *does not include any personally identifiable
information *or any other information that Microsoft can use to identify
or contact you."
and
"The Update will run periodic validations (initially every 90 days).
During validation, Windows will download the latest 'signatures' that
are used to identify new activation exploits -- much like an anti-virus
service. When tampering, disabling, or missing licensing files are
discovered, the WAT Update runs a check and repair weekly to ensure that
the licensing files are properly repaired."
Any comments or perspectives?
-Andy
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