Microsoft announced privacy enhancements coming to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update for consumers and businesses that further increase your access to information and provides you more control over what information is collected.
To simplify your access to information about the features Microsoft offers, and the data collection and use around those features, the company has made two privacy changes to the setup process.
First, Microsoft is giving users direct access to the Privacy Statement within the setup process. Second, as you set up a new device, the Learn More page on the privacy settings screen enables you to jump to specific settings for location, speech recognition, diagnostics, tailored experiences, and ads while you choose your privacy settings.
Most users are accustomed to being prompted for permission to use location data when using a map or other location-aware application. Starting with the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is extending this experience to other device capabilities for apps you install through the Microsoft Store. You will be prompted to provide permission before an app can access key device capabilities or information such as your camera, microphone, contacts, and calendar, among others. This way you can choose which apps can access information from specific features on your device.
App permission prompts will only apply to apps installed after the Fall Creators Update. To review and manage your existing app permissions go to Start, select Settings, then select Privacy.
In addition to the above enhancements, Microsoft's Enterprise customers iwill also have a new setting that limits diagnostic data to the minimum required for Windows Analytics. Windows Analytics allows Enterprise administrators to decrease IT costs by gaining insights, using Windows Diagnostics, into the computers running Windows 10 in their organizations. It is a fast-growing Microsoft service - providing data-driven insights that reduce the cost of deploying, servicing, and supporting Windows 10.
These privacy changes coming next month in the Fall Creators Update. Windows Insiders will get an early look of some of these changes in the coming weeks.
