Big Tech says it's "backup," "sync," and "convenience"—but what happens when your computer quietly starts moving your personal files into the cloud by default? In this episode, David Linthicum breaks down a growing industry pattern: technology providers designing defaults that automatically capture your data, route it into their storage platforms, and make that choice feel inevitable. We start with the Microsoft Windows 11 upgrade experience, where many users discover Desktop, Documents, and Pictures being pushed into OneDrive through folder redirection and persistent prompts—often without a clear, informed decision at setup. From there, we connect the dots to Apple's iCloud, where "it just works" can also mean "it just uploads," and to Google's Drive-first ecosystem that normalizes cloud storage as the primary home for files. Finally, we revisit AWS and the long-running idea that computing is something you rent—not own—turning the PC into a subscription and your data into recurring revenue. This isn't an anti-cloud rant: cloud storage can be genuinely useful. The issue is default capture, confusing consent, lock-in economics, and the shrinking space for truly local-first computing. If your files are your property, why do vendors treat them like a product funnel?

Ver todos los episodios