Dive Brief:
- Microsoft is updating its privacy statement, publishing information about the data it collects and improving in-product information about privacy in Windows 10, according to a company blog.
- The company promised to reveal more privacy information prior to release of its Creators Update, which is expected any day now. In a post, Microsoft said it collects information to help understand both the device and configuration. In particular, at the basic level the company collects data on device information, quality-related information, app compatibility, and Windows Store information.
- Microsoft explains that for the basic level, it uses data to determine if there are problems in device hardware or software configurations. "For example, it can help determine if crashes are more frequent on devices with a specific amount of memory or that are running a particular driver version." That kind of information can help it fix issues with either the operating system or applications, according to Microsoft.
Dive Insight:
Microsoft has faced a barrage of complaints from various organizations about its privacy practices ever since Windows 10 first launched. The Swiss data protection and privacy regulatory agency previously threatened to sue Microsoft over its privacy practices, while European Union regulators also expressed concerns and pressured the company to make changes, ZDNet reports.
As privacy concerns are continuing to become a mainstream issue, Microsoft wants to make sure regulators stay happy. Especially as General Data Protection Regulations are set to go into effect next year.
The Creators Update is expected to start rolling out broadly next week. The newly added privacy controls will allow users to switch between basic and full levels of data collection. This will also provide users more control over when to install updates, which will hopefully be less disruptive to the user experience.
