> A new metrics collection setting will be added to the privacy page in gnome-initial-setup and also to the privacy page in gnome-control-center. This setting will be a toggle that will enable or disable metrics collection for the entire system. We want to ensure that metrics are never submitted to Fedora without the user's knowledge and consent, so the underlying setting will be off by default in order to ensure metrics upload is not unexpectedly turned on when upgrading from an older version of Fedora. However, we also want to ensure that the data we collect is meaningful, so gnome-initial-setup will default to displaying the toggle as enabled, even though the underlying setting will initially be disabled. (The underlying setting will not actually be enabled until the user finishes the privacy page, to ensure users have the opportunity to disable the setting before any data is uploaded.) This is to ensure the system is opt-out, not opt-in. This is essential because we know that opt-in metrics are not very useful. Few users would opt in, and these users would not be representative of Fedora users as a whole. We are not interested in opt-in metrics.
Those last three lines are essentially adding insult to injury. I have no problem with telemetry, I do have a problem with telemetry being on "by default" as it puts the burden of safeguarding privacy squarely with the user. As an individual you have to make sure the toggle is set to "off" yourself, and assume that telemetry really is switched off.
Back in february, the Go project proposed to add opt-out telemetry in the Go toolchain and they were almost torn in half over a weekend.