Microsoft's Controversial Recall Feature: Delayed Due to Security Concerns and Enhancements

Redmond, Washington United States of America
Microsoft is now planning to leverage the expertise of its Windows Insider community for further testing and improvements.
Microsoft's Recall feature, an AI screenshot tool for Copilot Plus PCs, has been delayed due to security concerns and enhancements.
Recall was initially planned as an opt-in experience with additional security improvements.
The tool uses local AI models built into Windows 11 and keeps all data private on-device.
Microsoft's Controversial Recall Feature: Delayed Due to Security Concerns and Enhancements

Microsoft's Recall Feature: A Controversial AI Screenshot Tool Delayed Due to Security Concerns

Microsoft, the tech giant known for its innovative approaches to artificial intelligence (AI), has recently announced a delay in the release of its new Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs. The tool, which uses local AI models built into Windows 11 and keeps all data private on-device, was initially planned to be an opt-in experience with additional security improvements.

However, due to the need for further testing and security enhancements, Microsoft has decided to hold back the Recall feature from its initial launch. The company is now planning to leverage the expertise of its Windows Insider community through a preview program in order to ensure that the feature meets Microsoft's high standards for quality and security.

Recall, which was first unveiled as part of Microsoft's upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, has been met with concerns from privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts. The tool screenshots mostly everything you see or do on your computer and then gives you the ability to search and retrieve items you've seen. An explorable timeline lets users scroll through these snapshots to look back on what they did on a particular day on their PC.

Microsoft has committed to several updates in response to these concerns, including making Recall an opt-in experience instead of being enabled by default, encrypting the database, and authenticating through Windows Hello. However, it seems that more time is needed for these improvements to be thoroughly tested before they can be released.

Microsoft's vice chair and president Brad Smith recently testified before the House Homeland Security Committee about the company's security practices in light of recent data breaches. Smith emphasized Microsoft's commitment to putting security above everything, including its work on artificial intelligence. He also announced that cybersecurity will now be a mandatory part of Microsoft employees' annual reviews and compensation.

The delay in the Recall feature comes as no surprise given the heightened focus on security within Microsoft and the tech industry as a whole. It remains to be seen when Recall will become available to Windows Insiders or Copilot Plus PC users, but it is clear that Microsoft is taking its time to ensure that this innovative AI tool lives up to its promise of providing a secure and private user experience.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • Is the data truly kept private on the user's device?
  • What specific security enhancements are being made?

Sources

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Microsoft Admits That Maybe Surveiling Everything You Do on Your Computer Isn’t a Brilliant Idea

Futurism News Site Description and Analysis Report 2021 Update Noor Al-Sibai Sunday, 16 June 2024 01:55
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft is delaying the launch of its new AI feature, Recall, which records and screenshots everything users do on their computers.
    • Microsoft executive Brad Smith testified before Congress about the company’s security practices and its involvement in data breaches.
    • Microsoft has laid off over 11,000 people since its pivot to AI in early 2023.
  • Accuracy
    • Recall is a flagship feature that draws concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How to turn off Windows’ aging activity tracker

The Verge Barbara Krasnoff Thursday, 13 June 2024 14:35
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft’s upcoming Recall feature screenshots everything you do on a Windows computer as an opt-in feature.
    • Activity history may still be enabled in Windows 11, even though Timeline has disappeared.
    • To see if the tracker is still there and enabled, go to your Windows Settings › Privacy & security › Activity history and toggle off ‘Store my activity history on this device.’
    • Manually clearing your activity history can be done by hitting the ‘Clear history’ button in the same settings menu.
    • Microsoft asserts that your activity history will no longer be used in current versions of Windows 11 and will be automatically deleted within 30 days from when your data was last synced to the cloud.
  • Accuracy
    • Microsoft's upcoming Recall feature screenshots everything you do on a Windows computer as an opt-in feature.
    • Recall is a flagship feature that draws concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.
    • Recall works by taking periodic snapshots of a computer screen to give Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot a 'photographic memory' of virtual activity.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting Microsoft's support page twice. However, the author does not make any fallacious arguments based on this information.
    • ] The option to send activity history to Microsoft has been deprecated from Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2, January 23, 2024-KB5034204 update[
    • your activity history will be automatically deleted within 30 days from when your data was last synced to the cloud
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Microsoft delays controversial AI Recall feature on new Windows computers

The Associated Press News Friday, 14 June 2024 16:09
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft is delaying the Recall feature on new laptops equipped with Windows
    • Recall works by taking periodic snapshots of a computer screen to give Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot a ‘photographic memory’ of virtual activity
    • Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Recall at a showcase event last month as a step towards AI machines that can reason about intent and surroundings
  • Accuracy
    • Microsoft is delaying the launch of its new AI feature, Recall, which records and screenshots everything users do on their computers.
    • Recall works by taking periodic snapshots of a computer screen to give Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot a ‘photographic memory’ of virtual activity.
    • Microsoft is confronting heightened competition from Big Tech rivals in pitching generative AI technology.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Microsoft’s all-knowing Recall AI feature is being delayed

The Verge Tom Warren Thursday, 13 June 2024 23:55
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft is delaying the release of its Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs due to the need for additional testing and security improvements.
    • Recall uses local AI models built into Windows 11 and keeps all data private on-device.
    • Microsoft committed to making Recall an opt-in experience instead of on by default, encrypting the database, and authenticating through Windows Hello as part of its response to privacy concerns.
  • Accuracy
    • Microsoft is delaying the release of its Recall feature due to the need for additional testing and security improvements.
    • Microsoft's decision to delay Recall is due to concerns about providing a trusted and secure experience for customers.
    • Industry experts and tech columnists have criticized Recall as a security disaster.
    • TotalRecall, a tool that extracts intimate screenshots from unencrypted folders where they are stored on users' PCs, has been released in response to Recall.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority and a potential overstatement. It heavily relies on Microsoft's statements about its Recall feature without critically examining them. Additionally, the author claims that Recall could be a 'disaster for cybersecurity' without providing any evidence or expert opinions to support this assertion.
    • . . . privacy advocates and security experts have been warning that Recall could be a disaster for cybersecurity without changes.
    • Microsoft first unveiled the Recall feature as part of its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, but since then, privacy advocates and security experts have been warning that Recall could be a disaster for cybersecurity without changes.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication