i can’t say much, this is a sensitive topic and i don’t want to fan the flame
[edit 1]
i am also not sure if this thread should exist or not because of my decision not to say much, so delete it if you feel like it should
[Edit 2]
this is what is getting collected and sent through HTTPS
{
Flavour and Version of Ubuntu
Network connectivity or not
CPU family
RAM
Disk(s) size
Screen(s) resolution
GPU vendor and model
OEM Manufacturer
Location (based on the location selection made during install)
No IP information
Time taken for Installation
Auto-login enabled or not
Disk layout selected
Third party software selected or not
Download updates during install or not
LivePatch enabled or not
}
[edit 3]
The collected data will also be made public to allow other members of the community to see what % of users are using which version, flavor, etc.
(i forgot to add this for some reason)
[edit 5]
I am sorry for my insecurities i was not sure how this would be received all in all but this seems like the best outcome
[edited]
it is data collection i know how i and how others feel about it, the data seems innocent enough but the opt out fashion and me not knowing exactly where to step here makes it so that i don’t want to accidentally cause a riot
Nothing particularly bad pops out on the type of information they are looking to be able to collect. opt-out may have been an issue, but it looks like it isn’t covered under the GDPR so wouldn’t constitute personally identifiable information (a requirement for opt-out not being allowed by law). (id need to double check though)
Fedora has (last i checked) opt out for bug reporting, it looks like it does fall under the GDPR as it does potentially have personally identifiable information. But they have apparently checked and were told that it did not fall under the GDPR. (just as a comparison).
I can see why they would like to get the information they have listed, it would be beneficial for directing the project.
I am though usually a fan of opt-in rather than opt-out.
I’ll probably turn it off right away, but based on the info we have I’m okay with the way Cannonical is handling this. As long as the “off” switch really turns the telemetry off (looking at you, Microsoft) there’s absolutely no issues here.
Yeah, this isn’t a problem. No private data and opt-out check box in the installer and in privacy settings. Plus the data will be published. Transparency etc.
I don’t have a problem with any of the listed info with the exception of location. They really don’t need to know that. Maybe if it was narrowed down to country level then that would be fine but precise location is too intrusive.
Oh yeah you are right I got mistaken by your comment for where you are choosing the keyboard language also has to name a country where are you from to manage data/money/time formats.
It’s been a while since I installed Ubuntu. But at the end of install, I thought there was a tick box that asked if you wanted to send information to Canonical.
I am always in favor for opt-in cause opt-out feels like a way to scam the user and breaks trust with the developer.
That being said the info to be collected seems very mundane and reasonable…Plus if the option is visible enough during installation then it should be fine.
Does Canonical not use their product on a daily basis? Do they not understand that virtually everyone they cater to feels exactly the way you describe? Most sentiments I have heard echo exactly this. Most people are fine with the info they want, but marking that check box for people seems to alienate everyone! How do they not know this? I’m guessing more than one person was involved in this decision, or at least heard about it before it was announced and not a single person said, “Don’t piss off the user base.”?
It’s mostly a non-issue for me either way, but this isn’t a typical consumer deal used by 100’s of millions of people. The people who install Linux on their machine for themselves are going to go over all of the options provided to them in an installer. Most are reasonable people and would consider this option. Not everyone is going to read this news before 18.04 launches, and I’m sure more than a handful would see this box checked for them and flip their lid.
Opt-in, no problem. Opt-out, unmitigated disaster.
MS didn’t start collecting personal data all in one go. They started collecting “innocent” data first. What Ubuntu is doing is incremental infringement. Getting everyone used to data collection so that when they start collecting more and more data, nobody will notice or care.
i’m thinking about switching from kubuntu on my laptop 'cause of this. Anyone here using Debian can tell me if the upgrade from versions is easy? one of the main things i look for in a distro is that i dont have to reinstall when a new major version is released. (therefore i mainly use arch or ubuntu derivatives that facilitate the upgrade).
I don’t think these data points can be used for deanonymization. So long as we are actually able to opt-out completely, and the option to do so is presented clearly front-and-center, I don’t have a problem with this.
As long as the users has the option to turn everything off if they so wish, I don’t see a problem with this.
In my eyes all these topics in question aren’t so much about company policies but more about user option.
