this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2026
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Hello,

I've heard that Ubuntu may not fully prioritize user privacy and collects telemetry data. Could you please clarify:

Is this accurate? Are there Linux distributions that place a stronger emphasis on privacy?

Thank you 🙏🏼

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[–] TaintTaul@programming.dev 1 points 3 months ago

Linux, in general, is excellent for privacy. Period. Like, it literally can't get better than no telemetry.

Regarding Ubuntu, it has had some controversies:

I'd argue that the above just makes it hard(er) to trust them.

Consider taking a look at Privacy Guides' recommendations.

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

afaik, it's strictly opt-in. further reading: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-insights-how-telemetry-is-changing-on-ubuntu-desktop/73442

although they'll still see web traffic from your system if you hit their mirrors for updates and package installs--as would be the case anywhere online.

[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

I think pretty much any of the mainstream distros can be trusted as long as you make sure to check for any “opt-in” voluntary things that many people choose to allow. It’s good to help the developers do a better job ongoing to keep the distros as good as they can be. So if you have a reason to not want any of it, just check the options to make sure you know they’re shut off.

There are probably some distros which explicitly make a point to have absolutely no data sent, but you need to take into consideration what the best distro is for your needs irrespective of this one factor, since none are going to do this behind your back to the magnitude of Windoze or ChromeOS.

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