They have always been in Windows Vista/7/8/8.1. That's what the "Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program" is. They all literally shipped with it, all the way back in 2006 (ten years ago).
Microsoft release an update for it to gather more metrics. It is still an optional program to provide Microsoft information about how you use your computer.
Information about people who are sticking to Windows Vista-8.1 is valuable. These are people who have rejected Windows 10, so understanding what 10 might be missing could help determine future development.
Why is it in 2015 that people are suddenly having a moral panic about an optional program started in 2006 that still exists in 10?