Which changes?
I genuinely don't know, since I don't use Ubuntu anymore.
But personally, I would tend to prefer Linux Mint if I were using anything Debian-based.
Chances are, whatever the changes are can be gotten around by customizing the Desktop Environment and support software you have installed.
I'd go with something which shows long-term reliability in the trust department, as opposed to Gnome or the disaster-that-is-Unity. Perhaps Cinnamon.