Microsoft Confirms the Existence of a Non-Disableable GDID Device Identifier in Windows

Microsoft has officially confirmed the existence in Windows of a device identifier known as GDID (Global Device ID). According to available information, this identifier cannot be disabled through the operating system's built-in means.

Information about GDID came to light thanks to the materials of a court case handled by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It was in the documents pertaining to this case that the identifier was mentioned and subsequently confirmed by Microsoft itself.

What Is Known

Details about exactly how GDID is used, what data it transmits and how often are not yet disclosed in open sources. The mere fact of Microsoft's confirmation, however, raises questions among privacy specialists: a persistent, non-disableable device identifier could theoretically be used to track a specific machine end to end, regardless of the user's actions.

Why It Matters

The emergence of such an identifier in the context of a court proceeding involving the FBI makes the topic all the more pointed: it means the identifier could potentially be of interest not only to Microsoft itself, but also to law enforcement agencies when conducting investigations tied to specific devices.

Microsoft has not yet published any detailed official comments on the purpose of GDID, the mechanism by which it is generated, or whether it plans to give users the ability to disable it in the future. Until further technical details emerge, it is difficult to assess the real scale of the problem for the privacy of Windows users.

Source: Lobsters