TITLE: Microsoft Copilot: Data Privacy Violation? *How to Turn it Off*
Microsoft Copilot is now built into Windows 10 and 11 and highly integrated with all Office 365 apps.
It is arguably highly useful.
However (at least in Word), the entire point of Copilot is to learn from what you type, and suggest or write increasingly useful documents. This means it is learning from your confidential client documents -- so the question arises -- how far does that information spread and does it even understand what is confidential and what is not?
Personally -- I want to selectively engage AI as *I* need it, and not have it looking over my shoulder at all times.
In this video, a lawyer breaks down a conversation between another lawyer and a Microsoft employee addressing pointed conversations about confidentiality. The employee seems to say that confidential information won't transmit beyond your organization (if you are using a business license version of Office 365...) but leaves unclear whether or not confidential information might spread between employees in the same business on a group license. Then there is the whole question of whether or not to even trust that Microsoft is not sucking up the data from your client documents regardless of what they say (their licensing documents *ALLOW THIS*). This is *THE* video to watch right now concerning privacy and HIPAA implications: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9X6yMwmMpE
If you are viewing this on a web browser, also look at the comment section.
Please note that 4:48 into the video it discusses how to turn off Copilot in Office. Great. I tested this, and it also turns off my ability to synch OneNote documents with the cloud and different computers. So be aware of that.
This webpage gives you an easy way to turn off Copilot using the Group Policy Editor:
https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/software/how-disable-copilot-in-windows-11
This also works for Windows 10. You have to have a Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition of Windows to use the Group Policy Editor. Otherwise, you will need to use the Registry Editor. You can find directions on how to do this in this conversation: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-do-i-delete-copilot-from-my-pc-i-dont-want-it/fdd780c5-fa50-4392-a374-fb0689dfbf34
Turning off Copilot through the Group Policy Editor does NOT damage my ability to synch OneNote files with OneDrive and between computers. (Moving to a solution that does not require this is a future goal of mine as its a security concern too...)
Meanwhile, Atomic Shrimp (a channel usually devoted to scam baiting -- highly amusing, I recommend him) apparently considers this all a scam. In a nutshell -- the price of Office 365 has been increased and Copilot has been added to it. However, if you are willing to wait on-hold 1-3 hours and argue with Microsoft, they still have an unadvertised tier of Office 365 at the old price WITHOUT Copilot functionality:
Microsoft’s Sneaky Forced-Upsell to 365 Users; If You Don’t Need/Want Copilot, Don’t Pay for It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYVPThx7yss
So -- I guess I'd rather pay the higher price each year for Office 365 and just turn off Copilot, but to each their own... But then, the software still exists on our computers, so in theory it might still be functioning if Microsoft is lying...
It's time to switch to Linux Mint and move out of the Microsoft sphere.
If you missed it earlier:
a) Turn off Recall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMi6UaO1In4
b) What Microsoft User Agreements say about their rights to use your data:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bxz2KpbNn4
I happen to have a HIPAA BAA agreement with Microsoft, but really -- am I going to sue Microsoft if they violate it?
At the risk of getting political, keep in mind that Microsoft just gave $1 million to the Trump inauguration fund. Perhaps just a savvy business move to stay in favor. It gets more ominous if we read into it, in light of likely administration future moves against transgender rights, LGBTQ+ rights, non-Christian religions, and pregnancy concerns -- all concerns we are likely to encounter as psychotherapists. All concerns we MIGHT document in client materials...
-- Michael
--
Michael Reeder LCPC
Hygeia Counseling Services : Baltimore, Maryland
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