SUMMARY Clipboard by default enables history across sessions and 20 entries. There is no way to always make clipboard widget invisible completely from system try/hidden icons. OBSERVED RESULT Clipboard content is stored across sessions and with 20 entries by default. By default clipboard widget is visible. EXPECTED RESULT Both Windows and Mac have default clipboard history of 1 and doesn't store across sessions. Both OSes don't show clipboard widget/icon that is easily accessible or reminds anyone to check it out of curiosity. This behavior helps for: > Privacy of the content copied especially from personal notes/internet/etc. > Easy access (from system tray / hidden icons) to clipboard is concern for privacy. Clipboard should store only 1 item and should not store across sessions. Clipboard widget cannot be made invisible completely, since with "Always hidden" it still can be found in hidden icons section. Having clipboard widget visible either in system tray or hidden icons gives more chances/reminds of clipboard content being checked by user out of curiosity, rather than thinking of clipboard manually pasting/ctrl+v done by a user. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Windows: 10/11 macOS: 11/12/13 Linux/KDE Plasma: KDE Neon plasma 6 beta 2 ADDITIONAL DETAILS I know that providing access to unlocked computer itself is a privacy concern. But that's a different matter and the real data may/may not be as open/easily accessible as currently the Clipboard widget/history can be accessed. We cannot always be in idealistic situation to where computer has a guest or individual family member or friends account, and we always switch accounts to not let the clipboard be found.
You can disable the history by making it store 1/0 entries and unchecking storing across sessions. If someone has access to your machine, you have MUCH larger privacy concerns than clipboard leakage. For instance, complete access to your files. To many, clipboard history is a useful feature. On Windows, it's a commonly requested one (Type "Windows clipboard" into a search engine and look at the completions). The fact that history is stored is very obvious from the system tray indicator and if a user has privacy concerns over currently stored data, they can clear it.
Can distro installation page be added to educate users and let them configure Clipboard as they want at installation time itself, rather being unaware if the clipboard behaviour ? Or worst case can Welcome page after installation educate and allow the clipboard tweaking? I am more concerned on the new users or novice (non technical users) starting with or migrating to KDE, from Windows or Mac, who do not know that such thing exists.
Migrating to a new system always involves some degree of unfamiliarity and learning new things. Plasma's powerful clipboard is generally considered a strength, not a liability. I think this is a "try it, you'll like it" situation. Let me also mention that you can indeed make the Clipboard applet hide from your system tray by setting it to "Always hidden" in the system tray config window, on the "Entries" page. But let me also echo the sentiment that if you're worries about people looking through your clipboard history, you have much bigger problems--such as leaving the machine unlocked in the first place. If you don't trust the other people with physical access to the machine, at a *minimum* you need to be diligent about locking it when you're not around.