Summary
Is your computer helping the big tech companies spy on you? Fortunately, both Windows and MacOS can help you identify when an app is using your computer’s microphone.
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Transcript
Do you know what’s listening to you? Fortunately, thanks to an increased interest in privacy, our mobile devices now alert us when the microphone or camera is being used. Microsoft has also built this feature into Windows, but soon it will go further and allow you to track the history of apps that access this data.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
Those who are using Windows 11 may have noticed a new privacy feature that was available starting last year. Like many other operating systems, Windows notifies you when an app is using your camera or your microphone. But Microsoft has taken this one step further by allowing you to review an application’s history of collecting data that may invade your privacy.
To see this history, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, and then choose either Camera or Microphone. Once there, you’ll see a list of the Windows and desktop apps that have accessed these devices and the most recent date that it was accessed.
If you see an app listed here that you don’t think should have access, turn the permission off. You can also scroll down to the Recent Activity section to see which of your apps have accessed the camera or microphone within the last seven days.
If you’re using a Mac, you won’t be able to see a history of when apps access these devices, but you can see which apps have permission to use them. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy, then choose the Privacy tab and select Camera or Microphone on the left side. If you want to restrict access for a particular app, uncheck the box next to that app.