A few days ago, we talked about the definitive end of Skype and how Microsoft Teams was becoming the best alternative. Today, we’re reporting on an interesting new feature this platform is introducing. It’s a privacy and security feature that many users have been asking for. This will make using Teams for video calls safer for everyone.
Specifically, it’s a feature that will prevent screenshots from being taken during a call. This, for some, may be very important. As we’ll explain, there are situations in which users demand this extra protection to avoid problems, whether short- or long-term, that could compromise their daily lives.
Teams will prevent them from taking screenshots
Microsoft Teams is working on a feature they’ve dubbed Enhanced Meeting Protection. The goal is to protect the information shared in these meetings by preventing people from recording what’s said or taking screenshots that could affect the privacy of those participating in the conversation.
Consider, for example, a company meeting where confidential data or data that could be important to competitors is being presented. If someone wanted to take a screenshot and then show that information to others, they wouldn’t be able to. They’d run into the very same limitation they’re now trying to implement.
But how exactly does it work? If someone wanted to capture what’s on the screen, once this feature, called Enhanced Meeting Protection, is enabled, the application window will automatically turn black, and they won’t be able to take the screenshot. Everything is protected.
For now, this is a feature in development. Once available, it will be available on the various desktop versions of Windows and macOS, as well as on mobile devices, iOS, and Android. Be careful, though, because you may experience issues if you connect to this type of meeting from a platform that doesn’t support this feature: you’ll only be able to access the audio, but not the image. This could occur if you’re using Linux.
Other platforms use something similar
Streaming platforms primarily have similar protections to prevent content from being recorded. For example, if you use Movistar Plus and want to take a simple screenshot to show something interesting you saw during a sporting event, you’ll find that it’s not possible. The screen automatically goes black, and you can’t capture anything.
Now, will this really prevent them from taking screenshots? The truth is, there will always be options. For example, something very simple: they could take a photo or video from an external device, such as a cell phone. They could even use screen recording programs in the background, which can somehow circumvent this protection.
In short, Microsoft Teams, one of the most popular platforms for video calling, is introducing an improvement to prevent screen captures. Always make sure you have a good connection and a low ping to reduce the risk of problems.
