Windscribe Releases Tool to Block Microsoft's Persistent Windows Tracker

Windscribe, a virtual private network (VPN) provider, has released a free tool called deGDID to help users block Microsoft's Global Device Identifier (GDID). The GDID is a persistent, device-level identifier that can be used to identify a Windows installation even when using a VPN.

The GDID has been used in a US court case to trace a suspect's PC across multiple countries. In the case, Microsoft provided investigators with logs that correlated a Windows GDID with IP activity, allowing them to track the machine through VPN obfuscation.

Blocking the GDID can break some Microsoft account features, such as Xbox and Outlook. However, Windscribe claims that blocking the GDID is necessary to protect user privacy. The company argues that the GDID is a privacy risk because it can be tied to telemetry, Edge browsing data, Microsoft Store records, and IP addresses, allowing Microsoft to reconnect the same machine across sessions and services.

The release of deGDID is a response to growing concerns about user privacy and the increasing use of tracking technologies by tech companies. Windscribe's move is likely to be seen as a challenge to Microsoft's data collection practices and may spark a wider debate about the balance between user privacy and the need for companies to collect data to provide services.