Privacy - or rather the lack of it - is the reason why I have blocked my company from installing it. If more business people were computer savvy there would have been an outcry by now. The whole thing is a bag of worms and any firm that is obliged to have security systems in place but has got Win10 on a computer is completely non-compliant.

But companies and individuals don't think twice about using Android phones and tablets, which have been doing this sort of thing all along...?

Yes, you're right, motorhaven, it's not just Microsoft.
There are a number of hidden options in Windows 10 that the average user cannot easily find. In Android you cannot turn them off at all.

Instead of trying a catch up game, data protection commissions of the governments that try to impose restrictions should have a set of specific instructions/laws for the Software/Tech Industry. And every-time there is a new software release the layers of the company must be informed and vet the release.

Governments should be transparent about what the exact rules(not in a legal type verbatim mambo-jumbo) are and Tech Companies should explain to the potential users why the soft does not work in the country where they currently are.

If later it is found that the laws were broken - slap the HUGE FINE and no more BS, no courts of any kind.

But companies and individuals don't think twice about using Android phones and tablets, which have been doing this sort of thing all along...?

DING!

Don't expect a response.

All this win10 crybaby stuff is quickly tackled within mins of the settings..... any admin should be on top of this, if you aren't.. you are the superclown. Where is your windows update server? you can push whatever tested updated patch to your systems you choose.

Superclown is 100% correct. You NAILED IT.

Privacy laws in most countries are very specific as regards to the type of information which is to be protected.

Tech companies spend millions on trying to figure out ways around that. Sometimes they are successful for a period of time.

Then slapped down.

And it starts all over again.

As for locking Win10 down .... that's not going to happen easily, or permanently, and can possibly be in violation of TOS with MS. Even if that is not a biggie, locking Win10 down against phoning home for updates (security and otherwise) defeats the purpose of new OS in the first place.

Just thinking out loud .... That's why I have only one Win10 system, and it is NOT connected to the net except once a week for several hours at a scheduled time. I'm still testing software, even after this period of time, with mixed results. I have to know it will do what I need before green lighting it for other systems.