Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature is attracting controversy before even venturing out of preview.
Microsoft said in its FAQs that its snapshotting feature will vacuum up sensitive information: “Recall does not perform content moderation. It will not hide information such as passwords or financial account numbers. That data may be in snapshots stored on your device, especially when sites do not follow standard internet protocols like cloaking password entry.”
Mozilla’s Chief Product Officer Steve Teixeira told The Register: "Mozilla is concerned about Windows Recall. From a browser perspective, some data should be saved, and some shouldn’t.
Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, noted that while the feature is not on by default, its use “opens up another avenue for criminals to attack.”
Moore warned that “users should be mindful of allowing any content to be analysed by AI algorithms for a better experience.”
Cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont was scathing in his assessment of the technology, writing: “In essence, a keylogger is being baked into Windows as a feature.”
AI expert Gary Marcus was blunter: “F^ck that. I don’t want my computer to spy on everything I ever do.”
Ah, it’s not even on by default.
So don’t turn it on.
Yes just like cortona, Microsoft account and other shit.
It’s not on by default… Yet
As much as I want “Jarvis” OS system, I really don’t want the version made by Microsoft, Google, or, Apple.
I want to be able to talk with my AI PC, but I want secure AI that’s just for me and won’t steal all my data for any Corporations to browse.
You want something that will never happen.
Why never? There are already AI models you can run locally on your own machine.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The user can then scroll through the archive of snapshots to find what were doing some time back, or query an AI system to recall past screenshots by text.
The Windows 11 feature is supposed to eventually expand to allow users to pull up anything that happened recently on their Copilot+ PC and interact with or use it again, as the system logs all app activity, communications, and so on, as well as by-the-second screenshots, to local storage for search and retrieval.
The IT giant also says that for the relatively small number of users running its Edge browser – with a market share of just under 13 percent, according to Statcounter – InPrivate sessions won’t be snapped, nor will DRM content.
Other Chromium-based browsers can filter out private browsing activity but lose the ability to block sensitive websites (such as financial sites) from Recall.
Microsoft did not engage our cooperation on Recall, but we would have loved for that to be the case, which would have enabled us to partner on giving users true agency over their privacy, regardless of the browser they choose."
Industry must consider data protection from the outset and rigorously assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms before bringing products to market.
The original article contains 1,057 words, the summary contains 209 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
What’s the point of this feature ? If it were not evil, what problem would it solve ? How often do you go to your PC and think “what was that thing I saw but never thought to create a bookmark or save the link/image”.
Even if people use it, it would be for something they missed because they thought it was unimportant or didn’t interest them, which is a very rare use case.
And still it is a highlight feature !
I wonder if it is lack of ideas or lack of commitment to create a good idea , given a technology, when these kinds of useless features are launched.
I can’t remember the last time Microsoft Imolemented a good idea into windows other than small UI changes.
Windows 11 has better window shadows than Windows 10. That is literally the only improvement I’ve found
Just do what video game companies do. They have an old game. It runs on old hardware. Some parts of the game feel very outdated in modern day. So they update the graphics, retool some outdated game mechanics, update it’s availability to run modern hardware.
They take 20 year old games, update them, and then sell it back to you at full price as a remaster.
I guess what I’m saying is…forget trying NEW ideas. Just give us Windows XP 2.0 that works on modern hardware with ongoing security updates.
That’s all anyone wants.
The thought of Microsoft remastering XP scares me, you and I both know they’d still be throwing Copilot into it.
But the C-suite folks think it’s a great new way to spy in their employees, so I’m guessing it’s here to stay.
I bet their lawyers might not think it’s a great idea.
Why? Their company, their computers.
This is going to be terrible for work place security.
Total Recall? Get your ass to Linux!
I’ve tried to get into linux 4 different times now. Over the coarst of 15 years.
I have no idea what I’m doing.
Honestly if you do truly value having control over your privacy take this advice to heart. There are so many good Linux options now that are even easier than Windows to install. All it takes is a few clicks. You can even choose which UI you prefer in many cases. All those previous barriers to entry no longer exist.
malware on linux is surprisingly common, more common than most people realize.
in fact, for every variety of malware for windows, there’s a version of it for many linux distros too
Most malware that targets linux goes for server stuff, since those are the most valuable targets. End user linux, which barely hits 3% usage, isn’t a common target because there’s not much to be gained.
Seems like all hospitals and medical providers would need to avoid the OS in order to remain in compliance with HIPAA.
literally every cybersecurity expert is saying this would be a bad idea that could be used maliciously by anyone. I really hope the executives listen to them.
yeah, sure, it’s supposedly encrypted and supposedly stored locally exclusively and supposedly not turned on by default, but even if that does turn out to be true, scammers can use it with remote desktop to snoop, anyone who plants a RAT on your system could look through that shit too.
“I really hope the executives listen to them.”
Oh man. Needed a good laugh tonight. Thanks champ.
Microsoft’s bread and butter has been selling and servicing to businesses.
So with that in mind, the hell are they thinking? Windows 10 end of life guarantees that businesses specifically will have to switch. Then the next option in line is one that will by default vacuum up all your proprietary information to feed into an AI, effectively “copyright laundering” it?.
Even if there’s ways to deactivate the feature, the non-tech savvy managers will just go off of the headlines and the tech savvy ones will recognize the security risk. And government/healthcare computer might just fork Linux into a non-open source version.
Ironically it feels like they’re focusing too much on consumers (on extorting them) and shooting themselves in the foot for their business clientele.
Ironically it feels like they’re focusing too much on consumers (on extorting them) and shooting themselves in the foot for their business clientele.
It’s like they saw all the shittiest things about apple products and said “game on motherfuckers!”
imagine how many people are going to get doxxed by this feature.
Even if we believe them and all the data stays local to your machine, what’s to stop your average bit of malware accessing it?
So now not only is any data compromised going forward, but all your data going back as well.
Hopefully this will get more people into looking at Linux as their OS.
