The new Privacy Auditing feature in Windows 11 allows users to see a list of which apps have accessed their microphone or camera recently, plus details of any other suspicious activity.
David Weston, Microsoft’s VP for Enterprise and OS Security, highlighted the new privacy feature in a recent tweet: “New Windows 11 Privacy Auditing features allow you to see history of sensitive device access like the Microphone.”
The Windows Insider program’s Dev Channel has also introduced the feature.
– The Privacy Auditing feature, which can be accessed via Settings – Privacy & security > App permissions, shows users:
– Which apps have accessed the microphone in the last week, giving dates and times.
– Which apps have accessed contacts, or phone calls, messages, location, and screenshot data.
Phone operating systems, for example, already has a similar feature. For example, last June, it was announced that Google’s Android 12 (in beta) would have a camera and microphone access indicator, which shows users if an app tries to access the device’s camera or microphone. Android 12 was released last October, and the access indicator gives users an indicator in the top-right corner of the status bar when the camera or microphone is in use. Clicking on the microphone or camera indicators shows the users which apps have accessed their data.
iOS 14 also has a similar feature. An orange dot, an orange square, or a green dot in the status bar at the top of the screen indicates when an app is using the microphone or camera.
Microsoft has been criticised over some aspects of its privacy record recently, e.g., Windows 10 was criticised in 2015 over its default settings and personalised embedded adverts. Adding more privacy controls or features, such as the new Privacy Auditing feature, is, therefore, likely to get a positive reception from users.
Users are now more aware than ever of data protection and privacy matters and value any ways that their privacy can be protected. For businesses, these are essential issues for compliance and avoiding potentially costly breaches or providing social engineering vectors for hackers and other bad actors. This new feature adds a useful transparency element to Windows 11, enabling users to make better choices about apps regarding security and privacy and reduce risk to themselves and their businesses.
