The keylogger and Start menu ads are just creepy though. I shouldn't have to opt-out of targeted ads INSIDE MY OS.
(I guess for some ads, the very fact that it thought your eyeballs were fit for them already discloses more about you than you'd like... and I'd guess that at least some ads placed by Google would be able to figure out whom they were shown to. But other than that, isn't data collected by Google kept secret from everybody else? It'd make sense from a business standpoint apart from any other considerations; better keep the competitive advantage, and better keep exactly what you know a secret from users as well as competitors.)
This is exactly correct, and it's why I prefer trusting Google with my data over anyone else. I'd rather have my eyeballs bought and sold by a company who's only competitive advantage is the fact that only they have my data.
Also, I interacted with Google's AdX and others and I must say that Google's AdX is much more restrictive in the user data exposed. The identifiers they give are completely unreliable for tracking users and they don't even give away the full IP. They are also doing a good job in reviewing the content being served on the client side, they detect if you're setting cookies or doing other things that are against their policy and their approval process is a pain in the ass. Other competing platforms, like MoPub (now owned by Twitter), are much more relaxed.
The general rule of thumb in the ads space - the bigger you are, the more eyes are watching you, this is why smaller players are breaking the rules with the purpose of grabbing as much land as possible before going public.
At least for me I tend to trust MS (at least the new MS) more than I do apple or even google.
According to these screen shots, this guy got skincare product ads in his start menu.
I can't verify because I noped out of anything that smelled like ads right from the get-go. Also, classic shell.
!!!EDIT: I know it looks shopped, which is why I said I couldn't verify it. Windows Store app ads are quite real though.
"Its awesome living in a mansion! According to this picture, this is what my mansion looks like"
"!!!EDIT: I know I don't own a mansion, but other people do and this is what it would look like if I had one."
Well, today is Thursday. That other stuff was from Tuesday. Tomorrow it will be something else about somebody else.