Microsoft launches new privacy controls to ease privacy concerns

With Windows 10 launch, the Redmond-based company received a flood of criticism for one of the most serious internet issues- privacy.

While Windows 10 users were working on PC, the operating system was collecting user information. Though some data collection is necessary for apps to function properly, the rest was unnecessary. Microsoft received a formal notice last year, from the French National Data Protection Commission, ordering the company to "stop collecting excessive data and tracking browsing by users without their consent."

Later followed, the Electronic Freedom Foundation, alleging the company for "disregarding user choice and sending an unprecedented amount of usage data back to Microsoft"

After months of criticism, Microsoft may have finally resolved the issue with its latest privacy updates. Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, made the announcement of launching web-based privacy dashboard which lets you control your privacy.

"First, today we’re launching a new web-based privacy dashboard so you can see and control your activity data from Microsoft including location, search, browsing, and Cortana Notebook data across multiple Microsoft services," Myerson wrote. The latest privacy dashboard lets you see which data is being collected, and you can also clear your complete history details.

"Second, we’re introducing in Windows 10 a new privacy set up experience, simplifying Diagnostic data levels and further reducing the data collected at the Basic level. These Windows 10 changes are being introduced in a Windows Insider build soon for feedback first and will be rolled out to everyone when the Windows 10 Creators Update becomes available."

Microsoft is also reducing the amount of diagnostic data being collected at the Basic level, and now only “includes data that is vital to the operation of Windows”

With the latest update, Microsoft is simply trying to retrieve the user's trust, which was smashed because of the privacy concern.