The news
Windows 11 quietly enables an Advertising ID by default. The feature supports targeted advertising across Microsoft services and apps. Users receive no prompt at setup to review or reject the setting.
Context
Prior Windows versions also used similar identifiers, yet the default state in Windows 11 continues the pattern without added transparency. The change affects anyone installing or upgrading to the current release. No public statement from Microsoft accompanied the activation. The setting applies across consumer and professional editions alike, meaning both individual users and managed environments inherit the same starting point.
Details
The Advertising ID functions as a unique string tied to a device or account. It allows apps and advertisers to build profiles based on usage patterns and interests. The identifier can reveal broad categories of activity when combined with other data Microsoft collects.
Guidance on disabling the feature exists in system settings under privacy options. Turning it off stops the identifier from being shared with third parties for advertising. The process requires navigation through multiple menus after installation completes. Users reach the control by opening Settings, selecting Privacy & security, then choosing the Advertising ID section and toggling the switch. The same path must be followed again if a feature update or reset restores the default.
The identifier operates independently of sign-in status in some cases, remaining active even for local accounts. When linked to a Microsoft account, the data can travel across devices signed in with the same credentials. Reports indicate the ID persists through certain clean installs unless explicitly disabled beforehand via registry or group policy in enterprise images.
No numbers on adoption or opt-out rates appear in available reports. The setting remains active unless changed, and it resets with certain system updates or new device pairings.
Why it matters
Default activation of the Advertising ID shifts the burden onto users to protect their data rather than offering an explicit choice during setup. Engineers and technical users who value minimal tracking must locate and adjust the option themselves, adding friction to an otherwise streamlined installation. For companies deploying Windows 11 at scale, the default creates an extra configuration step if privacy policies require the identifier to stay off. The absence of clear documentation on exactly what the ID exposes leaves room for varied interpretations of its reach.
Over time, continued reliance on such defaults reinforces the view that Microsoft prioritizes advertising revenue mechanisms over straightforward user control. Technical teams responsible for compliance audits now carry an additional verification task each time a new image or update rolls out. Individual users who never discover the setting continue to feed usage signals into advertising profiles without realizing the channel exists. The cumulative effect is a slow erosion of the expectation that a fresh operating system install starts with the least amount of data sharing possible. Because the toggle sits several layers deep in the settings tree, many people never reach it, even when they actively seek privacy controls. This design choice makes the default state functionally permanent for the majority of installations.
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Sources:
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