Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Gives More Control Over Privacy & App Permissions

Microsoft says it will give Windows 10 users greater control over their privacy in the Fall Creators Update, which is due to be released on 17 October.

The company has faced criticism over its attitude towards personal data in the latest version of its mobile operating system and had introduced more controls in the Creators Update that rolled out earlier this year.

Marisa Rogers, privacy officer at Windows Devices Group, said the new features would build on this commitment by giving more options during the set-up process.

Windows 10 Privacy

“First, we are giving users direct access to the Privacy Statement within the setup process,” she said. “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.

“You no longer need to sift through the privacy statement if you only want to read about a specific feature, simply click the Learn More button for easy access. We want you to have all the information about your privacy setting options readily available so that you can make an informed decision about your privacy and how your data is used.”

Until now, users only only had the option to give an application permission to use their location. Going forward, they will also be able to state whether a Windows Store app can use the camera, microphone, contacts list, calendar and other elements. This will only apply to apps installed after the Creators Update has rolled out and existing apps can be altered in the privacy settings.

Finally, enterprises will be able to limit the amount of data to the minimum required to power Windows Analytics, which gives insights into how Windows 10 is used in a business.

“As part of our ongoing dialogue and transparency with you, our customers, I am excited to announce these privacy changes coming next month in the Fall Creators Update,” added Rogers. “Windows Insiders will get an early look of some of these changes in the coming weeks.”

Among Microsoft’s critics are the European Union, which in February said it was “concerned” about aggressive data collection that failed to inform users about how it was being used.

Take our Microsoft quiz here!