Introducing three new things that will empower customers to be more informed about their privacy in Windows 10. Introducing three new things that will empower customers to be more informed about their privacy in Windows 10.
Terry Myerson is the EVP of the Windows and Devices Group and Marisa Rogers is the WDG Privacy Officer
Last week, we shared that the Windows 10 Creators Update will begin to roll out to our customers starting April 11, bringing new features and tools that empower the creator in each of us. We’ve talked about innovations in this update like bringing 3D creation and mixed reality to everyone, enabling every gamer to be a broadcaster, and browsing improvements in Microsoft Edge. With all these new built-in innovations, we hope it will inspire you to choose Windows to be the place you love to create and play. And yet one of our most important improvements in the Creators Update is a set of privacy enhancements that will be mostly behind the scenes.
For the first time, we have published a complete list of the diagnostic data collected at the Basic level. Individual data points that relate to a specific item or event are collected together and called Events. These are further organized into diagnostic areas. We are also providing a detailed summary of the data we collect from users at both Basic and Full levels of diagnostics.
Aside from sharing new information to inform your choices, our teams have also worked diligently since the Anniversary Update to re-assess what data is strictly necessary at the Basic level to keep Windows 10 devices up to date and secure. We looked closely at how we use this diagnostic data and strengthened our commitment to minimize data collection at the Basic level. As a result, we have reduced the number of events collected and reduced, by about half, the volume of data we collect at the Basic level.
Finally, I want to introduce Marisa Rogers, our Windows and Devices Group Privacy Officer. She champions our privacy commitments to you both inside and outside Microsoft, working with our Microsoft engineers and advocates around the world to ensure we’re delivering great experiences with privacy by design and giving you the information that puts you in control. Marisa will share more today and in the future about the privacy work we’ve done with the Creators Update and our privacy plans for future updates.
I’m proud of the team’s work here and our continued commitment to your privacy. I’m also appreciative of the great feedback we’ve received from our customers along this journey. You inspire us every day to innovate and deliver a great product that respects your privacy choices. This feedback – in line with the feedback we have received from the European Union’s Article 29 Working Party and national data protection authorities that have specifically engaged us on Windows 10 – was essential for Microsoft to identify and implement improvements in our privacy practices.
Thank you and keep the feedback coming! Take it away, Marisa.
