PSA: Microsoft may be training on your private data without your knowledge

(garymarcus.substack.com)

24 points | by ZeroMinx 12 hours ago ago

12 comments

  • yesfitz 11 hours ago

    Microsoft refuted this claim: https://x.com/Microsoft365/status/1861160874993463648

    "In the M365 apps, we do not use customer data to train LLMs. This setting only enables features requiring internet access like co-authoring a document." -@Microsoft365

    • dmonitor 10 hours ago

      They wouldn't have to combat misinformation if they actually told users what the switches turned on/off instead of vague descriptions that could plausibly allow them to do whatever the hell they want.

      • autoexec 7 hours ago

        Yeah, MS collecting your personal data and using it for whatever they want sounds exactly like a "feature requiring internet access" to me.

        • mysterydip 3 hours ago

          your document has gained the following co-authors:

          - microsoft

          - our 856 trusted third parties

  • sherburt3 11 hours ago

    File>Options>Trust Centre (left panel)>Trust Centre Settings (button)>Privacy Options (left panel)>Privacy Settings (button)>uncheck "Turn on optional connected experiences"

    Wow

  • 11 hours ago
    [deleted]
  • ashton314 11 hours ago

    I don’t have access to any Windows machines. Otherwise, I’d be tempted to turn this on and pump it full of Markov-chain generated slop.

    How big would the damage be if a few percent of their userbase did this?

    • trod1234 9 hours ago

      This wouldn't have an impact.

      There would inevitably be a classifier that acts as a filter pre-training to identify slop and ignore it.

    • dole 11 hours ago

      I'd imagine mostly to the productivity of the sloppers. Considering this looks like a Windows Office-wide default opt-in, I feel you'd have difficulty hitting 1% userbase.

  • dmonitor 11 hours ago
  • 11 hours ago
    [deleted]
  • derelicta 11 hours ago

    Microsoft is a powerful company, they know themselves above the Law. So why would they stop?