Unpopular opinion but to stop Microsoft's shenanigans = legislation. Opt-in by default would be a good start. Transparency tools to show what's being exported to MS. How about stopping forced major updates too.
User needs protective legislation fast.
If not for GDPR, my email and phone would be still vacuumed up by every e-shop and sold in bulk to some shady data aggregator. If not for the upcoming USB-C charger law, Apple would be putting their Lightning holes in all devices. Sometimes the invisible hand of the market has to be forced I guess.
Legislation is usually too little and too late, heavy-handed, and hard to change. But it's better then the current state of things, where the users are constantly screwed with no viable alternative for their OS.
Often EU regulations, especially tech-related ones (e.g. the USB C one) come with baked in provisions for how it will be updated to stay relevant in the future.
The upcoming DMA and DSA will hopefully enable a lot more interoperability and interchangeable software and standards.
Microsoft's Windows bullshit (the EU already established they can't force you to use their browser, why are they allowed to do it once again) will need a heavy slap down too.
> Many people in tech, and especially americans, sneer at the thought of regulation, but I don't see any other way to un-fuck the most popular personal computer OS in the market.
The only people who sneer generically at regulation are people who either misunderstanding or are just oblivious to how much their lives are shaped (in probably 90% of the cases, even in the US), for the better by existing regulations. One can argue on the merits of a specific proposal or law, but otherwise it's just absurdity like a house cat.
It is pathetic how they promote (push like madman) telemetry as a tool for improving user experience while all it is used for is ruining it and exploit their paying users for their own benefit only (marketing).
So yes, Windows does collect some information akin to a keylogger.