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You don't own your modern computer
>pic rel

>People say they've "debloated their Windows" all the time, but have any of them actually checked to see if that was true?

Here's a real example from monitoring network traffic on a Windows 10 machine:

Steam, when accidentally opened for less than a minute, generated hundreds of outbound connections. Not for downloading games or updates - just for existing. Community features, marketplace data, friend status updates, advertising content - all transmitted constantly whether you use these features or not.

Windows itself isn't much better. Fire up a network monitor and watch your OS phone home dozens of times per minute. Sending what? Microsoft claims it's "anonymous telemetry" for improving user experience. But the user experience of Windows has arguably gotten worse over the past decade, so what exactly is all this data accomplishing?

Your computer isn't working for you anymore. It's working for Microsoft, Steam, and whatever other companies have decided they need a direct line to your system.