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Swiss watch: Cuckoo-clock cops threaten Win 10 whup-ass can pop

Silicon Valley 'eats away at our freedom every day'

Switzerland's top data cop says Microsoft has “gone too far” in abusing people’s privacy.

The Federal Commissioner for Data Protection, Jean-Philippe Walter, told Le Temps on Sunday that he was prepared to take Microsoft to court if it does not alter its privacy policy for Windows 10.

According to Walter, the installation procedure does not properly inform users about the scope of the default settings. In France, the data protection authority CNIL issued public advice on how to set up privacy controls for Windows 10 earlier this month, but CNIL's Swiss counterpart is feeling more combative.

“If necessary, we will issue a recommendation,” he warned – a recommendation which could be for the authorities to ban the sale of Windows 10 in Switzerland.

But it’s not just Microsoft. Walter sees demons elsewhere: “We cannot let citizens become completely enslaved to big companies such as Google and Facebook,” said Walter.

“They eat away at our freedom every day. If we do not respond, one day it will be too late. Some analysts expect the end of the private sphere in the next 20 years,” he added.

The Swiss Pirate Party originally asked Walter to act against Microsoft, saying that the operating system automatically captures and shares information from its users with software vendors without clear consent.

Microsoft had not responded to a call for comment at time of publishing. ®

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