{
  "id": 437018,
  "title": "Microsoft Responds to Outcry After Quietly Installing Beta 'Photos' App on Enterprise Machines",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/microsoft-responds-to-outcry-after-quietly-installing-beta-photos-app",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-10T04:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Slashdot",
    "slug": "slashdot",
    "url": "https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/08/10/0229237/microsoft-responds-to-outcry-after-quietly-installing-beta-photos-app-on-enterprise-machines"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft's cloud storage service, OneDrive, introduced a Photos app to Windows 11 Enterprise machines, raising concerns among IT professionals. This beta application, meant for consumer use, appeared unexpectedly on devices intended for corporate environments. Enterprise administrators faced difficulties in managing the app, as there was no clear method provided by Microsoft to disable it. The OneDrive Photos app automatically scans local storage for photos and includes a People section that groups faces, prompting users for permission to handle biometric data. Microsoft acknowledged the issue, stating it had expanded beyond its intended scope, and promised to address the problem. However, users currently cannot uninstall OneDrive Photos without removing the main OneDrive application, as the two are linked. Microsoft is working on solutions to allow users to remove OneDrive Photos independently of the main application, particularly for enterprise PCs managed through Intune.",
  "summary": "Microsoft's cloud storage app OneDrive got a new Photos app in the worst possible way, reports the blog Neowin . \"The app is reportedly showing up even on Windows 11 Enterprise machines, despite apparently being a beta application aimed at consumer functionality.\" One admin questioned why a beta app was appearing on an Enterprise SKU in the first place, while another described the situation as…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}