Privacy has always been a primary concern in modern computing. With the advent of modern Windows versions, these concerns have been amplified severalfold.
While we have come a long way from the privacy nightmares of the vanilla version of Windows 10, these concerns still remain. To alleviate them, Microsoft seems to be testing an auditing tool that does what it says on the tin.
That is, offering you information about apps that access hardware considered sensitive to user privacy.
As reported, Dev channel Windows Insiders can now access the new Privacy Audit feature, though Microsoft has yet to officially announce or introduce this new addition to the operating system via a customary blog post.
Luckily, David Weston, the OS security and enterprise vice president at Microsoft, did the honors.
A clear image of this new tool for your viewing pleasure:
As is visible from the screenshot above, the tool appears to be part of the Privacy & security section of the Settings app. And it reveals information about microphone access along with a timestamp to let you know which apps have access to or has accessed your screenshots, messages, location data, and more.
You can also determine which apps accessed your device’s sensitive hardware, such as your PC’s microphone or camera.
It appears that privacy auditing in Windows 11 might just go beyond just offering information about access to sensitive hardware. Comprehensive permission settings like those on mobile platforms like Android and iOS may also be on the cards.
This could potentially enable Windows 11 users to precisely control what tools, features, and data their installed apps have access to.
Seems like a big step forward for privacy in Windows 11, and should be a welcome addition to the OS.
