Microsoft working to update parental tracking

Sep 29, 2015 05:38 GMT  ·  By

Privacy in Windows 10 is quickly becoming Microsoft's biggest headache this year, as everyone accuses the company of handling personal information wrong.

On one hand, there are users who claim that Microsoft spies on them with Windows 10 by collecting their private information, and on the other hand, there are parents who say that the software giant generates reports about their kids that include details such as visited websites, launched apps, and documents they have been working on.

Parental control is one essential feature in Windows 10, and Microsoft worked to improve it from previous versions of the operating system, but right now, the company's being accused of sending parents reports that might violate their kids' privacy.

Patch coming

As a result, Microsoft will soon deliver an update to Windows 10 computers that should improve the way reports are generated. Terry Myerson, head of the Windows division at Microsoft, has announced the patch but hasn't provided any kind of information regarding timing or how exactly it could change the current reporting mode.

“As an example of direct response to feedback we’ve received, all Windows 10 customers will receive an upcoming update to family features, with default settings designed to be more appropriate for teenagers, compared to younger children. Additionally, we’re working on ways to further enhance the notifications that kids and parents get about activity reporting in Windows,” Myerson has said.

As for the other privacy violation accusations that Microsoft has been facing since the debut of Windows 10, Myerson has explained that the new OS isn't being used to spy on users and has pointed out that only critical information that's not in any way personal is being collected, such as device ID, anonymous device information, and crash reports.

The patch could arrive sometime in late October or early November, when Microsoft is projected to debut the first major update for Windows 10, also including a plethora of other improvements to the operating system.