Ever since Windows 10 launched in 2015, Microsoft has been responding to concerns about user privacy. Windows 10 users were concerned about data collection from day one, mostly because Microsoft refused to tell anyone exactly what data it was collecting. As the voices grew in number and volume, Microsoft finally began implementing some subtle fixes and changes, but the first major response came this week.
Ahead of the upcoming Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft is changing the way it approaches privacy and transparency. On Wednesday, the company published a massive list of the data it collects on its TechNet site, bringing an end to nearly two years of mysterious data collection that had users up in arms.
In addition to publishing more information about the data it collects, Microsoft is also overhauling its privacy settings to give Windows 10 users a better understanding of what exactly they are toggling on and off.
You can change any of these settings at any time by heading to the Start Menu, clicking on the Settings icon and navigating to the privacy menu. Microsoft is also changing the way the privacy settings appear during the initial set up on a Windows 10 computer running the Creators Update. There will no longer be an option to “Get going fast” — you have to decide which privacy settings suit you before moving on.
It has taken an exceptionally long time for Microsoft to appease those concerned about their privacy, but the enhancements coming with the Creators Update are a major step in the right direction.
