Why is KB3021917 a "recommended update"? Important for whom?

Question

Hi,
today, various of my Win7 machines presented me KB3021917 
as a "recommended update", that, according to my Windows Update console in Windows 7 "fixes problems in Windows", which is not true if you look at the KB page on the web, which says:
"This update performs diagnostics in Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) in order to determine whether performance issues may be encountered when the latest Windows operating system is installed. Telemetry is sent back to Microsoft for those computers that
participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). This update will help Microsoft and its partners deliver better system performance for customers who are seeking to install the latest Windows operating system."
So obviously, the only one for whom this update is important, is Microsoft, but not the user, and it does not fix any problems, especially for users who do not participate in the "Customer experience" program, this update should be absolutely useless
and do nothing.
So why does Microsoft think it is so important that it needs to be installed?

Answer 1

The reason why I am so alarmed about updates like this is that they have the sour after-taste of a company trying to trick the user into sending some (probably personal or private) data by making them install an update that the ordinary user will not be
able to tell apart from security fixes or other important updates (important from a user's point of view).
The update is selected by default, listed under "Important" (as opposed to "Optional"), even if I uncheck it in my Windows Update console, it gets installed, I have to actively right-click it and actively select "hide update"
to permanently disable it:
From a single user's point of view, this update is not important at all, it's not even worth restarting the computer afterwards, it adds abolutely no value to your Windows installation, but may be another source of error (should I really mention the desaster
of the previous patchdays?). And as a paying customer, I only want to get this kind of update that is obviously only important to Microsoft, but not me, if I have actively opted-in to receive this kind of updates.
Let me explain it a different way. If Microsoft is planning on updating the CEIP backend to capture data differently, lets say a new XML/SOAP version or XML/SOAP format. This functionality would be broken if you don't update this component. I am sure
Microsoft has good purpose for deploying this patch out to your system that deeper than what they put in your knowledge base article. Even if you are not using the component, you still may need the patch it so it doesn't break other things down the line.
The patch is still optional, they are not forcing you to install it, you can hide the patch and not worry about it.
Perhaps you can actually read what this program is, so you can put your mind at rest:
http://www.microsoft.com/products/ceip/EN-US/default.mspx
You may also want to make sure that CEIP really is disabled on your system:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730757.aspx
There would be some pretty good humor behind your post, if it was still enabled on your system and you didn't know any different.
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