Third-Party Tools Allow Disabling of Windows 11's AI-Assistant Copilot Amid Privacy Concerns

Disabling Copilot feature in Windows 11 Home edition now reportedly requires third-party tools, such as DoNotSpy11 and O&O ShutUp10, following a recent update that removed the necessary registry entry.

• Windows 11's latest AI assistant feature, Copilot, can be easily disabled in the Pro edition, but requires third-party tools like DoNotSpy11 and O&O ShutUp10 to disable it in the Home edition.
• This need for additional tools became necessary after a recent update to Windows 11 Home removed the registry entry previously used to disable Copilot.
• The Copilot feature, which is part of an optional update for Windows users, presents as a Chatbot-style sidebar aiming to assist users with various tasks; however, it has raised privacy concerns among users.
• Third-party tools such as DoNotSpy11 do more than just disabling Copilot; they can also deactivate several telemetry and ad-tracking features, increasing overall system privacy.
• Microsoft's decision to make Copilot hard to disable, especially in the Home edition, coupled with the high level of telemetry tracking and other data collection capabilities of Windows 11, have been met with significant backlash from users.

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