Windows 10 Helps Parents Monitor Their Children

Windows 10 automatically sends parents detailed information of their children’s internet history and computer use.

09:58 28 August 2015

Windows 10 automatically sends “activity updates” that contain detailed information the children’s internet browsing and computer history to parents. Information sent to parents include the list of websites that their children has visited, the amount of time they spend on the computer, and how long they used their favourite apps.

 

The feature appears to be turned on by default for family accounts. Parents and children are not notified beforehand that they are being spied on.

 

Some parents have told young people to be aware that their parents might be spying on their web browsing.

 

“This weekend we upgraded my 14-year-old son's laptop from Windows 8 to Windows 10,” wrote a Boing Boing reader in an email to the site. “Today I got a creepy-ass email from Microsoft titled 'Weekly activity report for [my kid]', including which websites he's visited, how many hours per day he's used it, and how many minutes he used each of his favorite apps.”

 

“OK, I admit that the timing might be coincidental but that would be one hell of a coincidence. I've never seen anything like this until we upgraded to Windows 10, and then I got the spy report the following business day.

 

“A message to young readers: if you have Windows 10 now, your parents might be getting the same kind of report I did. Don't assume your own computer has your back.”