Microsoft is experimenting with sharing browsing data from Edge with Windows 10

Over the years there has been an increasing awareness of -- and backlash against -- the telemetry and data collection Microsoft has crowbarred into Windows 10. A new experiment with its Edge browser shows that the company is keen to make greater use of the information it gathers about its customers.

In the latest Canary build of Microsoft Edge, there is a new setting called "share browsing data with other Windows features". While optional, it is a feature that is likely to be eyed with skepticism.

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Microsoft is selling the data sharing as a way of making browsing-related information -- such as history and bookmarked sites -- searchable from Windows Search and not just from within the browser. The addition of the setting in the latest build of Edge Canary -- first noticed by Techdows -- will not be well-received by users who have become worried about the amount of information Microsoft is gathering about how people use its software and services.

The full description for the setting gives a closer insight into just how Microsoft would make use of the data it collects from the web browser:

When turned on, Microsoft Edge will connect local browsing data from this profile with the rest of Windows. Turning this feature on will help you find information from your history, favorites, top sites, and recent tabs more easily using features such as the Windows Search box.

Of course, the fact that the setting is only to be found in the experimental Canary build of Edge means that there is no guarantee that it will necessarily make its way to the release build, but it does seem likely.

Image credit: DANIEL CONSTANTE / Shutterstock