Pre-installed spyware from the factory. Lenovo, HP, Dell, ASUS — all caught.
11 devices analyzed. Set your privacy comfort level to filter.
What we found
Google Chromebook: F170 million students use Chromebooks. Google sees every keystroke. The kids never had a choice.
Google is 77% advertising revenue. Core Services have no ads but YouTube ("Additional Service") operates under consumer privacy terms with full ad tracking. Google Search same. Students use both daily via same account. When students turn 18, ecosystem familiarity converts into advertising relationship.
Googlebook: DGoogle handed free Chromebooks to schools, then used them to harvest children's data.
EFF filed FTC complaint (Dec 2015) — Google collected browsing histories, search results, YouTube habits from students via Chrome Sync (on by default on school Chromebooks). New Mexico AG Hector Balderas sued (Feb 2020) — locations, voice recordings, passwords, contact lists from children under 13. Settled $5.5M. BIPA class action alleged collection of face templates and voiceprints without parental consent. 40 million K-12 students affected across these incidents.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (Copilot+): DYour laptop takes a screenshot of everything you do. Microsoft calls this a feature.
Beaumont found biometrics only required for INITIAL SETUP. After that, a PIN works. "Will create false sense of security — almost every news article says biometrics are now needed." Feature cannot be fully uninstalled from Copilot+ PCs.