VSCode silently opts you in to data collection

Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by tmkbry on Saturday October 13, 2018 @02:01PM (#18209183)

https://imgur.com/a/wii2zVT is what everybody gets when starting VSCode for the first time.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by cwyers on Saturday October 13, 2018 @05:13PM (#18210059)

Yes. The title is against site guidelines ("Otherwise please use the original title, unless it is misleading or linkbait; don't editorialize.") and it's incorrect; there's nothing silent about it.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by alangibson on Sunday October 14, 2018 @06:07AM (#18212196)

The title is clearly correct. When you get that message, you have already been silently opted in. You must then to read the instructions and opt yourself out.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by samuelg123 on Saturday October 13, 2018 @02:57PM (#18209439)

I’d argue this isn’t enough. They should explicitly ask, especially when you’re using the application to handle sensitive material such as unreleased code.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by alkonaut on Saturday October 13, 2018 @05:06PM (#18210024)

I agree the yes/no should be the question (always) and not any extra work to opt out.

That said, if usage data is the goal, then any personal info or content you work on being uploaded would be a critical bug, a bug of the kind that could just as (un)likely appear in any other part of the software regardless of whether telemetry is on. E.g the request to fetch extension listings could accidentally contain your info, or the git code could post your stuff suppose to go to a private repo to a public one through a bug.

I really don’t see why sensitive or personal info would be at risk with telemetry (of the acceptable kind ie feature use stats). If that is compromised by telemetry then it’s either a) a bug (see above) or b) they are deliberately being malware. And in that case - why even ask?

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by rhizome on Saturday October 13, 2018 @03:12PM (#18209516)

It's user-hostile, business-unfriendly, and completely intentional.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by WalterGR on Sunday October 14, 2018 @12:58AM (#18211446)

Which information that VSCode sends as part of the telemetry are user- and business-hostile?

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by rhizome on Sunday October 14, 2018 @04:13PM (#18215028)

I was referring to the content of the notification dialog.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by WalterGR on Sunday October 14, 2018 @12:56AM (#18211443)

They should explicitly ask, especially when you’re using the application to handle sensitive material such as unreleased code.

Do you think that VSCode’s telemetry uploads your code to Microsoft?

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by morpheuskafka on Sunday October 14, 2018 @04:35PM (#18215160)

If you have trade secrets, it is incumbent on you to appropriately review the privacy policies and settings of tools before you run them on a machine with sensitive info.

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Re:VSCode silently opts you in to data collection by DannyBee on Saturday October 13, 2018 @03:29PM (#18209580)

Except even if that was enough, people upgrading were just auto-opted back in (AFAICT). It definitely happened to me!

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