Microsoft last introduced some changes to the way privacy settings are handled with the launch of the Creators Update, and now it's planning even more changes with the upcoming Fall Creators Update. Revealed in a new blog post, the privacy tweaks should give Windows 10 users a little more control over access to and sharing of information.
Perhaps the biggest change is that Windows 10 will now present you with prompts when an app is requesting access to certain information. This is already in effect for when an app requests your location, but the Fall Creators Update will add prompts for when an app wants to access your camera, microphone, contacts, calendar, and more. It's a feature that's similarly implemented for apps on mobile platforms and proactively gives users a bit more control over what apps have access to. Keep in mind this will only go into effect for Windows Store apps, and only applies to those you install after the Fall Creators Update is installed.
On top of the new app permission prompts, the Fall Creators Update will also now give you access to the Windows 10 privacy statement during the setup process. Microsoft is also working to give people more information over specific privacy settings with a "Learn More" page for specific settings like location, speech recognition, diagnostics, and more.
Finally, enterprise users will also see more control over what data is being shared. A new setting will let IT administrators limit diagnostic data to the minimum required for Windows Analytics.
Microsoft says that Windows Insiders will get a chance to check out all of these new privacy features "in the coming weeks." The Fall Creators Update itself is set to launch on October 17, so everyone will see the new features before too long as well.
