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.”
But Recall is recording screenshots, not data stored on disk. That’s not the same as Apple’s hourly data snapshot which is just a automated backup of what you have already stored. Recall will be recording the videos or images you watch, even when you don’t keep them locally. It will store the things you decided not to save, and every time you have to open your password manager to check a password, or create a new one. It might be limited to your account, but that still means it’s accessible to anyone who can figure out your password or access your unlocked PC behind your back. Or to that virus you accidentally downloaded, if it’s not immediately detected.