cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31889457
Please see the cross-post as it is updated.
Could Windows and installed apps upload all my personal files?
Dear all
I have deleted Onedrive and disabled File system access in Privacy.
- I would like to know, which other ways that my personal files could be uploaded in a non-malicious non-hacker way?
- Just by using Windows, Microsoft could upload all my personal files to themselves if they would?
- Does every installed App / software have full access to my whole drive? How can I found out, how much access it has?
Thank you for your interest and reply
Best regards
@Rikudou_Sage@lemmy.world
Yes, every application has access to everything. The only exception are those weird apps that use the universal framework or whatever that thing is called, those need to ask for permissions. But most of the apps on your PC have full access to everything.
And Windows does collect and upload a lot of personal information and they could easily upload everything on your system. The same of course applies for the apps as well, they have access to everything except privileged folders (those usually don’t contain your personal data, but system files).
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31889457
Please see the cross-post as it is updated.
Windows 11 has the option to protect parts of your filesystem. You may want to enable that.
Why? Because otherwise, pretty much any app with the exception of those locked in a web browser can read anything in userspace on your pc. Which is basically everything unless you've taken extra steps.
That's been the norm for quite a while, and unlike android, microsoft is hesitant to ditch the old thing and add in a prompt "app x is asking for file permission (yes/no)" because they want old software to work with new things.
On for linux, you'll have to make an extra user, install acl support and pray it doesn't accidentally get written incorrectly by some random app. That is, if you get something like hexos for example. You can roll your own as well.
On mac, don't bother. Apple has been caught routinely lying about their security and just straight up not fixing major security flaws. Dump your stuff on an external drive and unplug it when you're done. That goes for their desktops and phones.
edit: inb4 "whats on your iphone stays on your iphone"
Thank you very much