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Microsoft Operating Systems Privacy Software

Windows 10 Will Soon Give Users More Control Over App Permissions (engadget.com) 76

An anonymous reader shares a report: The software giant has revealed that you'll get much more control over what apps are allowed to do with your device. Where you previously only had control over location sharing, the Fall Creators Update will ask you to grant permission before accessing all kinds of potentially sensitive hardware and software features. It'll ask to use your camera and microphone if you have a video recording app, for instance, or check before offering access to your calendar and contacts. You'll only get these prompts for apps installed after you move to the Fall Creators Update; you'll have to dive into your privacy settings to review permissions for apps you already have. Even so, it's an important boost to Windows' privacy security levels. Much as on phones, where fine-grained permissions are already fairly commonplace, you might not have to worry as much about malicious apps spamming your contacts or hijacking the camera.
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Windows 10 Will Soon Give Users More Control Over App Permissions

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  • Why can't they just make it work like Windows XP did? It never asked me about permissions or for administrator access when I installed 500 toolbars, bonzi buddy and cool customized cursor packs and it was all just fine.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      Why can't they make it work like Windows 7? In Windows 7 I can grant different users and groups access to only the things they should have access to. In turn, I can make any application run under whatever permissions I want. Why the fuck is Windows 10 going backwards and taking control away from users?

      Also I see nothing in there about Windows 10 removing the spyware, removing the adware, restoring user control over updates or giving users the ability to purge worthless bloatware like "Windows Store", "Xbox"

    • So despite knowing that Microsoft is an early NSA collaborator, forcing [gizmodo.com] and tricking [theguardian.com] users into "upgrading" to Windows 10, distributes proprietary software (all of which is untrustworthy by default which prevents even technical users from fixing problems and distributing improved software to others), and Microsoft blatantly disregarded user choice and privacy [eff.org], shipped with bad defaults for privacy [archive.org], got caught lying to users about how Windows 10's euphemistically named "privacy controls" worked [arstechnica.com], you believe

  • by Dorianny ( 1847922 ) on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @02:42PM (#55190469) Journal
    Of course this only applies to apps using the Universal Windows Platform UWP api. I don't know anyone not stuck with windows on a ARM using the windows app store
  • One of the reasons I keep using Windows Phone is ability to fine-tune access to GPS and Contacts. More so, I can additionally turn off GPS for everything via easily accessible drop down setting menu.
  • Whatever (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft Operating Systems Privacy Software Windows 10 Will Soon Give Users More Control Over App Permissions

    What about Windows 10 giving users more control over OPERATING SYSTEM Permissions?

  • Slashdot Comments (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Merk42 ( 1906718 )
    M$ did thing! Thing is bad!

    It's a thing we've wanted before? That other OSes we like do?
    Doesn't matter! M$ is teh evil!!1
  • Get off my device and go disable the windows store entirely.

    I really don't need an "app store" for a company that can't even field a cell phone platform. Heck, I don't need an app store from the 2 who CAN! If I want to install something I'll go download the bits and run it the old fashioned way thank you very much. (even if it's .apk not .msi or .exe)

  • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @02:53PM (#55190591)

    How it will work, is, each app will ask for a buttload of permission for stuff you'd think it doesn't need, like a puzzle game asking for camera permissions, but the app will not run unless it gets those permissions, so most users will give up and grant every app all permissions, thus making the whole exercise pointless.

    • by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @03:15PM (#55190721)

      True that. And MS is doing the same itself; today Windows version of Skype asked if it was ok to install a update (funny question itself, as I have disabled automatic update checks on it) and the dialog gave two options; Yes and Later. Pressing Later-button just closes the Skype immediately. Only way to bypass that dialog was to answer yes. Why not be honest that we give you no choice but do as we tell you or cry and do as we tell you? And if the MS did not try to make the Skype UI worse and more phone-like on every version, people might actually want to update it.

    • This. That's exactly what I've noticed. The last time I used IOS and Android, neither will let you assign granular/discrete permissions. It's all or nothing. Interestingly, Blackberry 10 already has this feature. The commenter's statement turns out to be exactly what happened to the native Blackberry 10 applications. You can refuse to grant the app this or that permissions, and in turn it'll simply re-display the permissions dialog or rage-quit because you won't grant 100% of everything it asked for. I've
  • by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @03:20PM (#55190777)
    I'm not hearing good things about Windows 10, so I am sticking with Windows 9.
  • You can push them all you want, but most of them are disconnected. [lmgtfy.com] (Notice the many years this has been happening.)
  • Clarification (Score:5, Informative)

    by XSportSeeker ( 4641865 ) on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @03:38PM (#55190925)

    Just so people know, this has nothing to do with regular Windows software, just Windows Store apps... which no one cares about.
    https://blogs.windows.com/wind... [windows.com]
    "Starting with the Fall Creators Update, we’re extending this experience to other device capabilities for apps you install through the Windows Store."

  • by QuietLagoon ( 813062 ) on Wednesday September 13, 2017 @03:44PM (#55190975)
    "Windows 10 Will Soon Give Users Complete Control Over Windows 10's Data Harvesting" But it's not. So I stuck with Windows 7 until I finish my migration to Linux.
    • by WallyL ( 4154209 )

      This. Windows 10 is what brought about my Year of Linux on the Desktop (2015). I still maintain a Windows 7 machine for gaming but that will change someday.

  • you might not have to worry as much about malicious apps spamming your contacts or hijacking the camera.

    I already don't have to worry about that, since I won't touch the app store with a ten foot pole.

    Now, will Microsoft address real security issues, such as allowing us to turn off all the telemetry?

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

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