Rain Technology, creator of the world’s most advanced directional display technologies, announced general availability of Laptop Switchable Privacy™. Designed for tier one manufacturers and supply chain providers, the embedded screen technology protects against visual hackers and snoopers for enterprises and consumers — at the office or remotely in vulnerable settings like cafes, planes, trains, subways and taxis.

“Manufacturers who utilize this technology will be providing the highest level of device data security on the market, building strong brand affinity and fostering trust and loyalty,” explained Robert Ramsey, CEO of Rain Technology. “This is a winning proposition for both enterprises and consumers that prioritizes security and privacy and also benefits laptop, tablet and monitor manufacturers by providing differentiated, best-in-class security for their customers.”

State of the Market

Whether on laptop, phone or tablet, the need for better privacy is evident by the addition of privacy screens to millions of devices every year. According to Mordor Intelligence, the market today is more than $1 billion for privacy screens and is expected to double over the next five years. In the U.S., identity theft alone accounted for over $10 billion of losses in 2023 and is expected to grow at 14% annually. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the efforts to address visual privacy on devices today are via aftermarket films adhered to device screens and have no ability to be controlled via IT policy, software control, or button.

Targeting top-tier manufacturers like Apple, Dell, HP, Huawei and Lenovo, early adopters are looking to bring Laptop Switchable Privacy to enterprise IT departments, providing unprecedented IT policy control over the viewing of confidential information by an enterprise’s workforce — both on-site and virtual — as well as to the consumer market.

Enterprise Security and Consumer Privacy

Top-tier data security involves considering both cyberthreats and those in the physical environment and utilizing software and hardware innovations to mitigate risk. Laptop Switchable Privacy enables viewing in both Share Mode and Privacy Mode to specifications of angle and degree of privacy established by the manufacturer. The design visible to peripheral viewers while the display is in privacy mode can be metallic, black, or feature Display Screen Branding™, an etched logo design. These displays provide best-in-class performance for image clarity, color and luminance in bright and dark environments and maintain consistent brightness for the primary viewer in both Share Mode and Privacy Mode. Displays featuring Laptop Switchable Privacy can be switched into Privacy Mode in under a millisecond by software or hardware, automatically or manually by the push of a button, or triggered by eye tracking or IT policy.

Enterprises and consumers will benefit as follows:

• For enterprises, it is imperative to mitigate the risk of data breaches and ensure regulatory compliance in addition to decreasing the reliance upon employees themselves to secure confidential information. Laptop Switchable Privacy provides an automated privacy enforcement mechanism that can be utilized by enterprises across both internal and third-party applications to secure confidential information.

For example, when an IT policy is established that utilizes Laptop Switchable Privacy, the employee’s screen can be set to switch from Share Mode to Privacy Mode, blocking peripheral viewing when the employee opens a confidential document or internal content.

• For consumers, it is imperative to protect their personal privacy and confidential information. Laptop Switchable Privacy provides an automated privacy enforcement mechanism that can be utilized by consumers to ensure against visual snoopers and identity theft.

For example, if a consumer is on public transportation, they can manually switch their laptop from Share Mode to Privacy Mode to view their screen for entertainment or completing personal tasks, from viewing bank statements to gaming to social media.

Supporting Regulatory Compliance

According to the United Nations, data privacy is a fundamental human right. Both the U.S. and EU have demonstrated an evolving focus on all aspects of consumer privacy, whether it is the e-privacy laws under GDPR or the California Consumer Privacy Act. The European Payments Council has already standardized privacy protection measures in the retail environment, such as requiring privacy shielding for PIN entry to prevent “shoulder surfing.” In the U.S., PCI standards dictate similar requirements.

Additionally, in a healthcare context, the legal burden is on medical professionals and institutions to protect sensitive patient data and, in doing so, adhere to HIPAA regulations. Laptop Switchable Privacy allows providers to meet these requirements while not losing the utility of their laptops and monitors for sharing data with patients, their families, or other medical professions at appropriate moments. Millions of screens in doctors’ offices, hospitals and clinics around the United States and abroad utilize aftermarket privacy films to remain HIPAA compliant, but this is no longer the best or only solution to this problem.

Technology Breakthrough

Technically speaking, Rain Technology holds the patent for creating a thin, embedded proprietary layer within the liquid crystal module of a display screen. The patented approach is focused on directing and controlling the light coming out of the displays, allowing for privacy to be switched on and off. The design parameters are determined during panel manufacturing and activated by a hardware or software trigger, electronically switching a display from Share to Privacy Mode to control the viewing angle. The technology can enable as little as 0.3% screen visibility from a 45° viewing angle. The static reflective design is compatible with standard LCD and soon OLED, Micro-LED and Nano-LED displays.

For more information on Laptop Switchable Privacy solutions from Rain Technology, please visit www.raintechnology.com/switchable-e-privacy, or reach out to connect at 2024 events including Interfaces Symposium(VDI) on Sept.10-11 in Detroit and Mobile World Congress on Oct. 8-10 in Las Vegas.