Microsoft planning new privacy management features for Windows 10

Microsoft could be about to announce new privacy settings that'll allow Windows 10 users to view and delete telemetry data.

According to a report on Ghacks, two new options that let users manage telemetry data collected by Windows 10 has been revealed in a new preview build for the operating system.

In a blog post, technology writer Martin Brinkmann revealed the feature: "Recent Insider Builds of the upcoming Windows 10 version 1803 suggest that the system includes options to view and delete diagnostic data," he wrote.

"Microsoft's stance on privacy has been criticised by privacy advocates and part of the Windows user base since the company released the first version of Windows 10 to the public."

For a while now, security-conscious users have slammed Microsoft for its insouciant approach to privacy. In particular, consumers have criticised the firm for being secretive about the diagnostic data that Windows 10 collects.

Windows 10 monitors and sends this information to Microsoft servers for analysis purposes, but the company hasn't exactly been forthcoming about the practice.

In 2017, the firm tried to make amends with critics by offering more information about the personal data that Windows 10 collects, but it didn't go into a great amount of detail. The company did, however, confirm that it does this at a basic level.

"A lack of transparency in regards to what is collected and for what reason, and no option to turn the collecting of diagnostic data off, needs to be mentioned explicitly," added Brinkmann.

"Microsoft released information on basic and full telemetry on Windows 10 in 2017, but did not add an option to Windows 10 that would allow users to view the collected data."

To address these concerns, the company is thought to be preparing two new options for the Diagnostics & Feedback page in Settings. They'll be called "Diagnostic data viewer" and "‘Delete diagnostic data".

Although these features are only in the beta stage, they could roll out to Windows 10 soon. They demonstrate that Microsoft is beginning to become more transparent with its approach to data.

:story: V3.co.uk