Windows 7 is still dramatically less secure by design (i.e. not missing patches but architectural changes) compared to Windows 10, even Windows 8 had some meaningful kernel security features that 7 lacks. This includes sandboxing measures that Chrome & Firefox use, meaning you're still less secure even if you're not downloading shady software.
You're frankly better off applying a bunch of registry changes to 10, using a Education or N (EU) edition "illegally", or blocking DNS than going back to 7 just for privacy concerns. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face.
But this will install other stuff as well and might even upgrade the distro. I just want to update the kernel and its wrapper. Or does nobody have tried it and I would need to figure it out myself.
Meh... technically, you're probably right. In practice, it probably won't make a damn bit of difference. It's just like how everybody was scared to run without anti-virus years ago. More people got their computers fucked up by AV than by actual viruses. Still to this day Defender is there fucking up your computer and really not doing a great job protecting you from anything. Ransomware is still running amok despite everything being "up to date" and running AV, and 30 different corporate security defense suites.
You're frankly better off applying a bunch of registry changes to 10, using a Education or N (EU) edition "illegally", or blocking DNS than going back to 7 just for privacy concerns. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face.