Microsoft's new technology will use your eyes to decrypt secure documents

Microsoft has filed an interesting patent for display technology that effectively decrypts documents in real-time based on a user's gaze. Yeah, so at a glance, the encrypted document would be unreadable to anyone apart from the document's owner. The technology would decrypt the document in real-time based on where the user is looking - and only the components or sections they're currently looking at.

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It takes the idea of the 'privacy screen' to a new level, as it isn't limited to hiding what's on screen for those sitting at an angle or behind someone in a public area but works in conjunction with document encryption and decryption.

As Windows Report spotted, the patent and documentation don't explain exactly how it will work. However, it will use a webcam and eye-tracking technologies to determine where you're looking and ensure that reading an entire document with this system isn't slow and laborious.

One way to describe it would be to compare it to using a small magnifying glass on some otherwise ineligible text, where the only part you can read is what's directly within the confines of the magnifying glass. Microsoft's algorithm also takes into account peripheral vision and eye motion, so the effect isn't jarring.

It's an exciting approach to security and privacy. However, it's not entirely foolproof, as the system would still allow someone to read along as long as they can keep track of your eye movements. It'll be interesting to see if this technology adopts Microsoft's Copilot+ PC AI capabilities or is standalone and compatible with all Windows 11 rigs.