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Dutch governments builds alternative for Microsoft based on NixOS

1021 points · 583 comments · fjfaase

  1. askonomm · · focus · HN ↗
    Any move away from the abusive big tech that exists in USA is a good move in my book. Microsoft just recently made a new patent where they will monitor you via camera and microphone to block your program/game to show you ads, and per ads viewed, you then earn credit to be able to use your program/game. It is absolutely wild to me how a corporation can be so toxic and abusive to its users and still be in business.
    1. maxbaines · · focus · HN ↗
      The patent does not include monitoring using a camera or microphone. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;image-ppubs.uspto.gov&#x2F;dirsearch-public&#x2F;print&#x2F;downloadPdf&#x2F;20260260258" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;image-ppubs.uspto.gov&#x2F;dirsearch-public&#x2F;print&#x2F;downloa...
      1. GrantMoyer · · focus · HN ↗
        I&#x27;m not familiar with patent legalese, but from my layman skimming of the patent application, I think you&#x27;re right.

        Instead, the patent would cover running object detection&#x2F;classification ML models — optionally on remote servers — on screen and audio output and user input of specific applications (particularly videogames), without requiring cooperation from the application, to target ads based on what&#x27;s happening in the application and to decide when to interrupt the application with an ad.

        To hazard a guess: Microsoft or part of Microsoft is planning to include pervasive targeted advertising in the next Xbox console OS, including during gameplay of any game.

        1. paimapi · · focus · HN ↗
          they already have the backbone for this with Microsoft Clarity: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;clarity.microsoft.com&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;clarity.microsoft.com&#x2F;

          I was running a little mitmproxy network test on some baby-tracking apps to see what kind of data got sent back home and man, realizing that everything I was doing on my phone was essentially being recorded and &#x27;anonymized&#x27; by whatever definition of MS has for anonymization was really not fun

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