Ubuntu isn't a solution to Windows 10 privacy concerns.

I realize that there are real privacy concerns and that some people have their own perfectly valid reasons for disabling search and advertising functions in software. This article isn't directed at them. I am speaking to the nut-jobs out there that believe in every software conspiracy they read online and mistakenly think living under a rock is possible let alone a good move. I have seen a lot of these types declare their intentions to jump ship over Windows 10 start using Linux.

If you have decided to wear a tin foil hat and succumb to all the FUD over Windows 10 you may be considering a jump to Ubuntu.

If you’re new to Linux or to Ubuntu,you may not realize that Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly on privacy concerns and that Linux isn't a magic cure all for your paranoia. You might be shocked to learn that just like Microsoft Windows, you have to actually lift a finger and make some changes if you are concerned.

If you are over the top paranoid about privacy and don't use any cloud services you may want to disable online search from the dash. Anything you type in the dash could be recorded and sent to Canonical for use by Canonical and its partners. Now obviously it is anonymous data used for improving services and or advertising, but those in the tin foil hat brigade will argue otherwise. There is nothing nefarious or evil about it and the practice is clearly spelled out in the licensing agreement, but per usual there are nutty bloggers out there that confuse a practice allowed by a licensing agreement with actual coded software behavior or actual practices of the company. There is a difference between a license provision that allows for data collection and a huge nefarious plot to watch your every move and tattle to authorities, but people write up whatever gets them advertising revenue, not what actually happens.

Canonical, in a purely evil attempt to actually bring in funding and OMG, support further development, added shopping suggestions for Amazon to the dash. If you are convinced that you are being forced to shop at Amazon.com every time you use the dash you may want to disable the feature. From a terminal, type: sudo apt-get remove unity-webapps-common.

What I have mentioned here are just the top two privacy concerns using Ubuntu. There is a list as long as what you can compile for Windows 10 and just like with Windows 10 it is all easily mitigated with a little bit of education and some simple configuration. There are many good reasons to use Linux, Windows 10 privacy concerns isn't one of them.