Avoid Windows 11 if you care about your data, privacy experts warn
Many Windows 10 users are still struggling to take that leap of faith and switch over to Windows 11. The move has long seemed to be one that’s inevitable even if postponed for as long as possible, but data protection experts are now advising that it’s the smart move: don’t switch to Windows 11 and stay with Windows 10 if you care about privacy.
The reason for this warning is that Microsoft is jeopardizing the security and privacy of its users with AI features like Recall (which we ourselves have tested and discouraged using). Furthermore, some agencies like the Centre for Digital Rights and Democracy allege that the permanent recording of screen content violates GDPR.
Sensitive data—such as passwords, bank details, and medical information—can be recorded, which poses a threat to data privacy. The kicker? Experts believe that simply disabling Recall in Windows 11 is not enough.
Microsoft states, for example, that Recall is limited to Copilot+ PCs. However, there’s evidence that Recall is present on every PC that’s running Windows 11 24H2. As long as the feature remains native to the operating system, it’s potentially activatable and thus “a massive risk.”
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Here are your options
Data protection experts suggest various courses of action and explain how they would classify the resulting risk for Windows 11 users:
- Stay with Windows 10 as long as security updates are provided: This option is super effective, but only available until October 2026 when the Extended Security Updates program ends.
- Switch to Windows 11 and disable Recall: This option has limited effectiveness since the feature remains part of the operating system and can be reactivated through updates.
- Switch to Windows 11 and trust Microsoft’s default settings and assurances: Ha. This option isn’t effective at all and poses a potential risk as Microsoft can change course at any time.
In fact, given that Windows 10 has a definite end date at which point it will no longer receive security updates and become a liability to use, data protection experts recommend switching to another secure operating system as soon as you can. If you want to switch to Linux, we’ve explained how to do that in this guide.
Can Microsoft be trusted?
The key question here is whether users can still trust Microsoft. In truth, Microsoft has bled trustworthiness with its lack of transparency and mishandling of issues over the past many years.
As a private user, trusting Microsoft is ultimately a personal decision. However, in the case of public institutions and other administrative bodies, the Centre for Digital Rights and Democracy strongly discourages using Windows 11 for anything involving sensitive data.
It’s also a matter of breaking Microsoft’s monopoly:
“Beyond enforcing the GDPR, it is crucial to break Microsoft’s market monopoly and thus the indirect pressure to use the Windows operating system. Instead of spending millions of euros on licenses that violate the GDPR, the government should develop European data protection-compliant solutions. This would not only protect citizens’ data but also shift public investment, digital infrastructure, and the resulting value chain to Europe.”
Further reading: Bye, Windows! Which Linux OS is right for you?
