Post by account_disabled on Jan 28, 2024 21:43:53 GMT -6
There is always an element of risk when using beta software, especially beta versions of drivers. But Intel's latest pre-release GPU driver comes with some pretty nasty baggage. Run through the Intel Graphics Driver installation without enough attention and it will install in "normal" mode. This automatically registers you for the Intel Computing Improvement Program (CIP), a telemetry feature that collects a large amount of information, including information about the websites the user visits. The amount of data that Intel is interested in extracting from users is staggering - especially as the name of a PC upgrade program gives no indication of what it's actually about. Visit Intel's website — as TechPowerUp points out — and there's information about SIP. Here, Intel explains that it "wants to provide the best computing experience" and to do so it wants to collect, use and aggregate data from users. The company goes on to reveal that it is interested in four specific types of data: The categories of websites you visit, but not the URL itself; How you use your computer.
System information from your computer; Other devices in your computing environment. The company only distributes what each of the following includes: Usage information includes: Software usage: for example, the frequency and duration of use of programs such as Intel® Driver & Support Assistant, but not the content of the program itself such as specific actions or keyboard input. Feature usage: for example, how much RAM you use or the average battery life of your laptop. Other devices in your computing environment The categories of websites you visit, but not the URL itself Country Email List include Universal Wired and Gaming Devices and Devices that broadcast data to your computer on a local network: for example, smart TV model and vendor information and video streaming devices. The categories of websites you visit, but not the URL itself, The information collected includes categorized web browsing history, which shows how often and how often you visited specific categories of sites (ie, social media, personal finance, or news). All site visits are classified into one of 30 categories.
We do not collect URLs, web page titles, or user-specific content without your express permission. Aggregated system information includes, but is not limited to: Your device manufacturer CPU model Memory configuration and display OS version Software versions Region and language settings Regional location and time zone There are many things to worry about here. While Intel strongly emphasizes that it "does not collect URLs, web page titles, or user-specific content without your express permission," it's hard to see how it could be categorized without knowing the URL or title. . The change was spotted in beta version 101.4578 of Intel's GPU firmware, and while it's possible to opt out of the telemetry program, the fact that it's enabled by default is troubling to say the least. There's an argument that anyone using beta software is likely to be more technically savvy and looking for things like this, but that's beside the point. More information is available here — including that data collected through the app "may be shared with Intel partners." Photo credit.
System information from your computer; Other devices in your computing environment. The company only distributes what each of the following includes: Usage information includes: Software usage: for example, the frequency and duration of use of programs such as Intel® Driver & Support Assistant, but not the content of the program itself such as specific actions or keyboard input. Feature usage: for example, how much RAM you use or the average battery life of your laptop. Other devices in your computing environment The categories of websites you visit, but not the URL itself Country Email List include Universal Wired and Gaming Devices and Devices that broadcast data to your computer on a local network: for example, smart TV model and vendor information and video streaming devices. The categories of websites you visit, but not the URL itself, The information collected includes categorized web browsing history, which shows how often and how often you visited specific categories of sites (ie, social media, personal finance, or news). All site visits are classified into one of 30 categories.
We do not collect URLs, web page titles, or user-specific content without your express permission. Aggregated system information includes, but is not limited to: Your device manufacturer CPU model Memory configuration and display OS version Software versions Region and language settings Regional location and time zone There are many things to worry about here. While Intel strongly emphasizes that it "does not collect URLs, web page titles, or user-specific content without your express permission," it's hard to see how it could be categorized without knowing the URL or title. . The change was spotted in beta version 101.4578 of Intel's GPU firmware, and while it's possible to opt out of the telemetry program, the fact that it's enabled by default is troubling to say the least. There's an argument that anyone using beta software is likely to be more technically savvy and looking for things like this, but that's beside the point. More information is available here — including that data collected through the app "may be shared with Intel partners." Photo credit.