Microsoft delays Windows Recall amid privacy and security concerns

Microsoft delays Windows Recall amid privacy and security concerns

June 13, 2024 at 10:14PM

Microsoft delays AI-powered Windows Recall feature initially set for a public preview on Copilot+ PCs to seek further testing and security. Amid concerns over privacy and security, it will now first be available for preview with Windows Insiders. This follows criticism and efforts to enhance security, including making the feature opt-in with additional encryption.

Based on the meeting notes, here’s a summary of key points:

– Microsoft is delaying the release of its AI-powered Windows Recall feature to further test and secure it before making it available in a public preview on Copilot+ PCs.

– The feature was initially scheduled for release on June 18 with the new Copilot+ AI PCs, but will now be first available for preview with Windows Insiders.

– The update follows a scathing report from ProPublica about how Microsoft prioritized revenue over security and a meeting between Microsoft President Brad Smith and the US Congress to discuss the company’s recent security failures.

– Windows Recall is an AI-powered feature that takes screenshots of active windows on a PC and analyzes them using an Azure AI model, then adds the information to a SQLite database. It allows for human language searches of the extracted data.

– Privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about Windows Recall being a privacy nightmare and potentially being abused to steal users’ data.

– Microsoft announced additional security measures for Windows Recall, including making it an opt-in feature, encrypting the database until a user authenticates with Windows Hello, and further unspecified security measures.

– Despite these additional measures, Microsoft faces an uphill battle to regain trust related to this feature due to its initial delivery without adequate testing and security considerations.

Let me know if you need further details or if there are other specific points you’d like to highlight.

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