gta3 Windows is spyware by design, and they even charge you for it!
You know what is even better? You have to pay for an Enterprise license to even be allowed to disable the spying, or enable actually secure disk encryption modes, and in both cases you still need to change group policies to do so. If you are cheap and only pay for a Home license, they will even upload a copy of your disk encryption key to a Microsoft server for safe keeping. And yes, they admit all this is their documentation :)
It is a bit sad actually. Windows implements many very interesting security features, and would have an upper edge against Linux, if only they didn't gatekeep their security and privacy features like that, but offered it on all Windows editions. Officially, they don't even sell Enterprise licenses to end-users, only companies.
custardbomb I'm using Window 11 Pro having followed some hardening guides but keen to look at switching.
Unfortunately, on Pro licenses of Windows, most of the hardenings recommended in guides do not work, they get reverted on each reboot. You have to pay for an Enterprise license for most security and privacy features in Windows. It is pretty much only the things you can change in the Settings app that will work on Pro licenses, nothing else.
custardbomb Why isn't OpenBSD/FreeBSD offered as an alternative OS; it's my understanding these are more secure than Secureblue.
This is most likely not true. OpenBSD/FreeBSD, to my understanding, have most the same user space as Linux does, it is just the kernel that is different, and they too would thus lack app sandboxing and other modern security features. But I have to be honest, I only say this because I never hear OpenBSD or FreeBSD mentioned in security and privacy communities.