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Remove 11 and install Windows 10 LTSC IOT edition until the equivalent for 11 drops.

Make Windows shut up for good with Tinywall (https://tinywall.pados.hu/) and whitelist applications as needed.

Is this Windows 11 Home?

I have a Windows 11 Pro machine and the only intrusive thing I've ever seen was the small weather box on the taskbar, which I immediately turned off. I've never seen any of the others you mention.

If its relevant I use Firedox and Kagi rather than Edge and Bing/Google.

I don't see any of that, on a plain old windows 11 home license. Not sure why the experience is so different.

If you have the ability to install explorerpatcher I'd recommend it.

Perhaps you're in an A/B test. Hardly surprising the experience isn't consistent from person to person.

mine is also a retail license rather than an oem included license, but I don't know if that matters.

Same for me.