Aside from anecdotal evidence and lots of scare-mongering / click-baity post I failed to find an actual 3rd party privacy audit / research paper that goes in-depth in a similar way (do a standard setup of Windows 10 / 11, disable any available checkbox for data collection during setup, and MITM all traffic).
Yes, I know Microsoft documents the data fields ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/required-windows-diagnostic-data-events-and-fields-2004 ), but we all know documentation trails actual code by quite a bit. The research documentation also includes URLs which are very nice if one would want to "disable" some of the "required diagnostic data" using DNS filters (AdGuard, Pi-Hole) or firewalls. Again, I know Microsoft documents the endpoints ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/manage-windows-11-endpoints ) but the description is overly broad.
My goal is to get a general idea of how Windows compares to iOS / Android in terms of data collection as well as come up with an updated DNS filter for my home network that preserves functionality I want (Windows Update, Xbox GamePass, OneDrive and Office) while blocking functionality I don't want (gratuitous data collection).
If such a thing doesn't exist, any tips for how to go about DIY-ing would be welcome (I presume a VirtualBox installation with pcap or MITM with pre-installed certificates - I'm a software engineer with barebones network / security knowledge, so more accessible is better).