Philips Japan has quietly introduced a display with an intriguing ``privacy mode,'' a feature that narrows the viewing angle in an attempt to prevent visual hacking and disclosure of sensitive information to viewers. The Philips 242B1V monitor is designed for businesses and government agencies that handle sensitive and secret data. A significant part of hacking and information leakage is not due to unsecured networks or simple passwords, but rather from prying eyes in unsecured environments. Some banks have a long history of using screens with privacy covers to prevent people from eavesdropping, but the covers aren't always optimal, as removing them when collaboration is needed becomes tricky. This is not the case with the Philips 242B1V. The new Philips monitor uses technologies developed in-house by the company, as well as special films to activate its privacy mode, which can be turned on and off with the push of a button. When the mode is on, the display reduces its horizontal viewing angles to 90° and brightness to 180 nits.