ON July 1, 2026, the US Department of Justice extradited 19-year-old Peter Stokes, accused of hacking for the 'Scattered Spider' group. Arrested in Finland, he faced charges in a Chicago federal court. Central to this case is Microsoft's use of the Global Device Identifier (GDID), which allows precise tracking of Windows devices through telemetry logs, tying Stokes's criminal activities to specific devices in various locations, despite his use of a VPN.
This incident has sparked debate over privacy and the extent of Microsoft's tracking capabilities. Concerns have also been raised about potential tracking via Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chips, which suggests that users may not be able to fully erase their digital footprints.