Microsoft has been gradually working to fine-tune it’s Windows 10 privacy controls for the last few months.
The software giant addressed some privacy concerns that have plagued Windows 10 ever since its launch.
Earlier this year, Microsoft revealed exactly what data Windows 10 collects.
And just last week, Microsoft announced that the company will be making more privacy enhancements in the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update set to be released next month.
The additional tweaks are a follow-on of the new settings for simplified data collection levels that Microsoft rolled out in the spring.
Microsoft stated they’re looking forward to fixing a ton of bugs as part of the Fall Creators Update.
The company has been working on the stream of complaints raised by various protection watchdogs, customers and the larger Microsoft community.
However, it’s not a surprise that Windows owners can’t stop their operating system from sending Microsoft basic telemetry data it collects from their device.
With Microsoft’s commitment to protecting user data control, the October Windows 10 Creators Update is set to come with significant security enhancements for both consumers and commercial customers.
These new settings will allow users make more informed decisions about their privacy, by granting more control over what information should be collected.
The tech giant is now planning to let users access the Microsoft privacy statement during set up, alongside a “learn more” feature for the individual settings, allowing people to understand the functions without reading the entire statement.
The changes will improve transparency about the diagnostic data Microsoft collects.
According to a blog post by Microsoft, the Fall Creators update will build up on the security controls and other changes made in the previous update.
Some of the major enhancements to Windows 10 include:
Easier access to information during the set-up phase.
Microsoft has made two privacy changes within the setup process to simplify how users access information about various features, their use, and collection of data.
First, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will give users direct access to a full privacy statement during installation.
Second, as you continue with the set-up process, the “learn more” page will provide information about a particular feature by allowing you to customize specific settings for diagnostics, speech recognition, location, ads and tailored experience while choosing your privacy settings.
You will no longer need to sift through the long-winded statement if you wish to learn more about a specific feature.
Granular app permissions.
With the much-anticipated Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft will increase your transparency and control over applications that can access your information.
The update will include a feature that allows users to set more application controls, beyond the usual “use location data” prompt setting.
Moreover, the update will extend these permission requests to applications installed through the Microsoft store.
Apps will request users for permission to use their cameras, contacts, calendar and microphone, among others.
However, these prompt requests will only appear in applications installed after upgrading to the Fall Creators Update.
For other applications, you can double-check permissions by heading to Start > Settings > Privacy.
New Windows Analytics setting in Windows 10.
Microsoft also announced that enterprise users will get more control over their analytics data for better services.
In line with this, next month’s update is set to provide a new setting that will limit diagnostic data to a minimum level, ideal for the Windows Analytics service.
The new Windows Analytics setting will help enterprise administrators minimize IT costs by providing insights using Windows diagnostics for all computers running on Windows 10.
This fast-growing service from Microsoft aims at providing data-driven insights to help organizations reduce the cost of running (deploying, servicing and supporting) Windows 10.
The Windows Analytics service enhancements will also help administrators in performing inventory tracking, monitoring application and operating systems crashes, assessing system readiness for updates, and much more.
To do this, the analytics service will collect information about hardware, software and crashes from each machine.
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Microsoft is already testing the above changes with Windows Insiders ahead of the Fall Creators Update, set to be released on October 17.