Privacy Controls
The latest Privacy Controls coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Teams Rolling Out Call Lock to Prevent Delegates From Barging Into Sensitive Talks
Microsoft will release new privacy controls for Teams delegated calling this August, giving people the power to lock an active call and keep their authorized assistants, managers, or help-desk staff...
Microsoft Begins Rollout of New Start Menu for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 in July 2026
Microsoft confirmed today that the redesigned Start menu for Windows 11, first teased in early 2025, will begin rolling out to devices running version 24H2 and 25H2 starting with the July 2026 Patch...
Microsoft Tests New Search Control in Windows 11: Disable Bing Web Results Globally
Microsoft has quietly tucked a pair of privacy toggles into the latest Windows 11 Insider Experimental build that could finally let users in any region disable the often-unwanted Bing web results and...
Microsoft’s Wi-Fi Auto-Check-in in Teams Triggers Privacy Backlash: Here’s What Admins Must Know
Microsoft has begun rolling out a controversial new feature that uses Wi‑Fi connectivity to automatically log a worker’s office presence in Microsoft Teams. Deployed under the Microsoft Places...
Windows 11's Long-Awaited Bing Web Results Toggle Is Finally Being Tested
Microsoft is at last testing a native Settings toggle that lets Windows 11 users disable Bing-powered web results in the Start menu and taskbar search—no registry hacks or Group Policy tweaks...
Microsoft’s 2026 Teams Wi‑Fi Check‑In: Convenience vs. Office Surveillance Fears
Microsoft is preparing to resurrect a feature that bridges physical office presence with digital collaboration—this time with a sharper focus on privacy controls. The Windows maker will reinstate...
Windows 11 Preview Adds Switch to Kill Bing in Search Without Registry Edits
Microsoft is finally giving Windows 11 users a direct way to shut off web results in the built-in search. A dedicated toggle, previewed at a recent Windows Insider event in San Francisco, will let...
Windows 11 Build 26300.8553: Modular Start Menu, New Privacy Dashboard, Smarter Search
Microsoft has pushed Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.8553 to the Experimental Channel, delivering a highly anticipated modular Start menu, beefed-up privacy tools, and a smarter search...
Microsoft Retires Edge Copilot Mode, Bakes AI Features Directly Into Browser
Microsoft Edge is shedding its dedicated Copilot Mode. On May 13, 2026, the company confirmed it will retire the side panel–centric AI companion and instead fold its smartest browsing features...
AppControl for Windows: 72-Hour Historical View Beyond Task Manager
Task Manager tells you what’s happening right now. AppControl tells you what’s been happening for the past three days. That’s the core pitch behind a new free utility from developer Jon...
Copilot Vision Brings Opt-In Screen Sharing to Windows 11 With Strong Privacy Safeguards
Microsoft is folding Copilot Vision directly into the Windows 11 experience, treating it as a standard AI tool rather than an experimental add-on. In recent Insider builds, users have begun seeing...
Anthropic's Claude Memory Import: How Windows Users Can Switch AI Assistants Without Losing Context
Anthropic has fundamentally changed the AI assistant landscape with a feature that eliminates one of the biggest barriers to switching platforms. The company's new memory import functionality allows...