Telemetry is the process of collecting and transmitting measurements, values and data of a remote object. This data may include:
System and application crashes
Hardware and software configuration
User behavior and preferences
Security and update status
Performance and resource utilization
This information helps operating system developers to improve their products, fix bugs and provide a better experience for their users.
But the data obtained is critical for cybersecurity. It can contain so much data that it can interfere with your system.
There is no such thing as “I don’t enable telemetry”. If Fedora distributes Fedora 42 with it enabled, you can’t turn it off.
There is currently no proposed change that would turn on telemetry. in fedora 40 they thought about doing it, at least they wanted to. It didn’t even pass the vote. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to go on forever. After all, even though it’s developed by the free community, it’s funded by redhat with donations. This means that redhat has a say. No need to be naive.
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/Telemetry#Current_status
Companies have many tactics after all.
Set up an organization called a foundation to avoid paying taxes and transfer your money there. It looks like a foundation, but it’s really a safe.
This is an example.
Another example is that you are an OS developer, you produce a paid and advanced OS. To speed up production, you support an open source, free desktop OS, with the same base and the same package manager. Then you release another open source Enterprise OS, same base, same package manager. When you look at it, it is a free OS developed by the community. But it is owned by the community.