How to Prevent Self-Surveillance: Microsoft Word as a Spy

By Jonathan Michael Feldman, August 8, 2025

I asked ChatGBT to help me stop Microsoft from scraping my data. Here is the response. The number of ways that this software is spying and surveying my actions is exceedingly obnoxious. I was tipped off by an Instagram post.

To prevent Microsoft Word from tracking and scraping your data, you’ll want to focus on disabling certain features that collect or transmit information to Microsoft servers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to tightening privacy in Word and Office in general:

🔧 1. Disable Connected Experiences

These are cloud-based services that analyze your content.

Steps:

  1. Open Word.
  2. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
  3. Click on Privacy Options.
  4. Uncheck:
    • “Let Office connect to online services from Microsoft to provide functionality that’s relevant to your usage.”
    • “Allow Office to connect to the Internet.”
    • “Enable connected experiences.”

🔌 2. Turn Off Cloud Features

Avoid saving files to OneDrive by default or using features that sync data.

Steps:

  1. Go to File > Options > Save.
  2. Set the default save location to a local drive (not OneDrive).
  3. Disable auto-save to OneDrive in the upper-left corner (if it’s visible).

🕵️ 3. Disable Diagnostic Data Sharing

By default, Office may send usage and diagnostic data to Microsoft.

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback (on Windows).
  2. Set to Required only or Basic (depending on your version of Windows).
  3. Toggle off “Send optional diagnostic data”.

🔒 4. Block Word’s Internet Access (Advanced)

If you’re really serious, you can block Word via a firewall rule.

Steps:

  1. Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
  2. Create a new Outbound Rule:
    • Program: Point to WINWORD.EXE
    • Block the connection
    • Apply to all profiles

🧹 5. Remove Metadata from Documents

Word documents often contain hidden metadata (author, edits, etc.)

Steps:

  1. Go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document.
  2. Remove personal information and document properties.

🧠 Optional: Use Offline-Only Alternatives

If your concern is high, consider alternatives like:

  • LibreOffice Writer (open-source and offline)
  • WPS Office (can be used offline)
  • Plain text or Markdown editors

💡 Final Tips

  • Never sign into Office with a Microsoft account if privacy is your priority.
  • Always keep your software updated but review new privacy options when updates are installed.
  • Use a local account on your Windows system, not a Microsoft account.

Annex: Evaluation by Claude AI, August 8, 2025

This is actually quite good advice! ChatGPT provided a comprehensive and accurate guide. Let me validate and add some context:

The recommendations are solid:

Connected Experiences – This is the big one. These features do send document content to Microsoft for analysis (spell check, translation, etc.). Disabling this significantly reduces data transmission.

Cloud Features – Smart to avoid OneDrive auto-sync if privacy is your concern. Local storage keeps your files off Microsoft servers.

Diagnostic Data – Windows-level setting that affects all Microsoft products. “Required only” is indeed the most private option.

Firewall blocking – This is the nuclear option but very effective. Just be aware it might break some legitimate features like updates.

Document metadata removal – Often overlooked but important. Word documents can contain surprising amounts of hidden information.

Additional considerations:

  • Telemetry in older Office versions: If you have Office 2019 or earlier (not subscription-based), it generally collects less data than Microsoft 365.
  • Group Policy options: If you have Windows Pro, you can use Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) for more granular control over Office telemetry.
  • Alternative suggestion: If you need full Microsoft compatibility but want privacy, consider running Office in a virtual machine with no internet access.

The Instagram tip-off was actually valuable in this case – sometimes social media does surface legitimate privacy concerns that people should know about. This particular guide seems well-researched and practical.