Windows 11 has a new privacy feature currently testing method that allows you to check which programs you have installed that have recently accessed sensitive hardware on your computers, such as your microphone and camera.
Windows 11 New Privacy Feature
Recently, Windows 11 has been releasing updates to augment customer experience. Tech Times reported that they had worked on new patches to make things more 'delightful', including both hearing and vision accessibility tools.
Today, another update is in the works. The new 'Privacy Auditing' function in Windows 11 is a valuable enhancement that is still under testing. Microsoft's VP for Enterprise and OS Security, David Weston, originally revealed it on Twitter.
New Windows 11 Privacy Auditing features allow you to see history of sensitive device access like the Microphone pic.twitter.com/vq3IJkAIMO
— David Weston (DWIZZZLE) (@dwizzzleMSFT) June 16, 2022
It's in a new preview release of Windows 11, according to the tweet. However, it is now being tested in the Dev Channel, where the first preview releases of the OS are put to the test.
The new privacy feature is hidden under Settings (in Privacy & security > App permissions). From there, you can view a number of current activities from apps to see and analyze them. For example, see which apps have accessed your microphone in the last week. Or perhaps your camera, which is another obvious place to look for possible malicious activity.
Additionally, this will maintain track of apps that have accessed your contacts, as well as data about your location, phone calls, and other activities. In each case, the user is additionally informed of the precise time and date of the access to the hardware or function in the issue.
Needless to say, Privacy Audit will constrain useful information to have in terms of openness regarding what all the apps you installed on your system are doing.
Checking the Privacy audits in Settings on a regular basis might offer some surprising results, flagging up programs that you wouldn't have realized had gotten their claws into some more sensitive elements of your system. Or possibly identifying anything dangerous that has gone unnoticed.
Is Windows 11 good for Privacy?
Many users may still wonder, with this new privacy feature, if Windows 11 is helpful in addressing privacy issues. Analysts at Tech Radar believe it's encouraging to note that the coverage given here is rather broad in terms of keeping tabs on different sensitive extra bits of your computer, ranging from cameras and microphones to contacts and other similar information.
For years, Microsoft has endured a rather troubling track record for privacy in Windows, particularly since Windows 10. With this new update, it's encouraging to see the software giant taking a gradual approach forward on this matter.
Assuming the feature will walk past the testing phase, the Privacy Audit may help Windows 11 users maintain a higher level of surveillance and general stability on their PC.
Related Article: Windows 11 Enhances Accessibility Features to Make User Experience More Delightful
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Thea Felicity
