FS Install - Disable external services for JAWS/ZoomText/Fusion in secure environments

FS Install - Disable external services for JAWS/ZoomText/Fusion in secure environments

Problem

Security conscious organisations/sites may with to customise or disable online features for Freedom Scientific products. 


Applies to

  1. JAWS/ZoomText/Fusion

Resolution

From version 2021 upwards it is possible to disable JAWS/Zoomtext/Fusion use of external services by installing with a command line switch to prevent their installation/operation. The following features will then be disabled:


  1. Research It
  2. Voice Assistant
  3. Picture Smart
  4. JAWS Tandem
  5. FS Support Tool
  6. AI Page Explorer
  7. AI labeler
  8. Error Reporting
  9. Anonymous Usage Data Collection
  10. Math viewer

Important Installation Notes

  1. Remote Access: Using JAWS in a remote access or virtual environment (e.g., Citrix or Remote Desktop) remains available.
  2. Persistence: This option must be used during the initial install. Future updates will respect this setting and keep these services disabled. To re-enable them, the software must be uninstalled and reinstalled without the switch.
  3. Customisation: If you only need to disable specific services while keeping others active, administrators should use an .ini file instead of the command-line switch. 

Data storage and processing

  1. At present the data is stored in the US.
  2. Data processed by the AI features such as Picture Smart is handled with a focus on temporary processing rather than long-term storage.
  3. Data Storage and Retention Policies.
  4. No Permanent Storage: Freedom Scientific does not permanently store images submitted through Picture Smart.
  5. Temporary Cache: Images and their associated AI-generated responses are stored in a temporary cache on Freedom Scientific’s secure backend servers.
  6. Automatic Purging: This cache is automatically cleared every four hours. This temporary storage exists only to support the "chat" functionality, allowing users to ask follow-up questions about an image during a single session.
  7. Model Training: Data submitted via the enterprise APIs (such as those from OpenAI) used by JAWS is not used for model training. 
  8. Data Transmission and Security
  9. Encrypted Transit: All image data is transmitted directly from the JAWS application to Freedom Scientific's services using TLS encryption over HTTPS (port 443).
  10. Anonymisation: To use Picture Smart, users must have "Submit Anonymous Usage Data" enabled in the JAWS Settings Center. This ensures that while images are analysed by external services (like Microsoft or OpenAI), the data is handled anonymously.
  11. Local Folders: Users can also use a dedicated PictureSmart folder on their computer (found in the Windows Pictures folder) to save images for automatic analysis. 


Example command line:

Below shows an example command line to disable external services:

c:\\InstallerPackage.exe /DisableExternalServices

Where “InstallerPackage” is the installer for JAWS/ZoomText/Fusion
Where switch to disable external services is supplied with space /DisiableExternalServices


Further infomation


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