[Feature Request] Create a Means to Disable Telemetry During Install

[auldydrums]

Describe the solution you'd like

A means to disable telemetry during the install process, either by a means of an argument we can pass through with the MSI or via registry entry that could be amended post install (either at the end of the install script or via group policy)

Additional context

This was identified as a nice to have by our info sec manager. We have a workaround by means of bombarding the users with prompts before installation and at installation completion however taking the disabling of telemetry from the end user would be preferable.

[dbjorge]

I looked briefly into how much work this would be yesterday. This is approximately what I think implementation would involve, but with the caveat that anything WiX related tends to involve gotchas and be difficult to test, so it would probably take a little more time in practice than I think it sounds like it would be in theory:

1. In Product.wxs, add something like <Property Id="INITIAL_TELEMETRY_SETTING">prompt</Property> and set up new <CustomAction> and <Custom Action...> entrypoints (specific trigger condition TBD) that pass INITIAL_TELEMETRY_SETTING to a new SetInitialTelemetrySetting action
2. Create a new SetInitialTelemetrySetting CustomAction in AccessibilityInsights.CustomActions (see existing ConfigFileCleaner for an example)
3. Document usage by passing INITIAL_TELEMETRY_SETTING=disable at the end of the command line invoking the MSI

This would probably be a fairly self-contained addition; it would probably be a reasonable candidate to mark as a suggested community contribution.

[ghost]

This issue has been marked as ready for team triage; we will triage it in our weekly review and update the issue. Thank you for contributing to Accessibility Insights!

[DaveTryon]

We've discussed this a bit, and @dbjorge's proposal won't work in the multi-user scenario. We think we've settled on a design for this:

1. Designate a registry setting that requires admin privileges to write. If this setting exists, AIWin telemetry will be disabled for all users. Bonus points if we choose a location that can easily be set by group policy
2. Add code to the client so that if this registry key is set, we expose to the user that telemetry has been disabled by their organization so they can't enable it. Potentially impacted dialogs: First-boot telemetry, settings.
3. We probably won't modify the setup to write this key, but we can document it for organizations that are sensitive to telemetry leaving the machine

A simple implementation should be easy to complete in a day or two.

[DaveTryon]

@auldydrums This feature is now in the Canary release available at https://github.com/microsoft/accessibility-insights-windows/releases/tag/v1.1.1733.01. it will be in our next Production release (hopefully in October). Note that we chose not to set the registry key via setup, as most organizations that would use this feature already have mechanisms in place to create registry keys.

Please take a look then close as your convenience. Thanks!

[ghost]

The team requires additional author feedback; please review their replies and update this issue accordingly. Thank you for contributing to Accessibility Insights!

[ghost]

The team requires additional author feedback; please review their replies and update this issue accordingly. Thank you for contributing to Accessibility Insights!

[ghost]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it is marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 4 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 3 days of this comment. Thank you for contributing to Accessibility Insights!