Microsoft's Recall Product Glorifies Spyware with a Copilot in Windows 11

Sure let's just clone Limitless, formerly known as Rewind, and put our logo on it.

Hello Everyone,

You know there’s moments when as a consumer or writer, I do get a bit outraged. Full disclosure, this is one of those moments!

How is your virtual digital photographic memory? Would you be willing to lease this out to an AI? What about a Copilot, specifically, Microsoft Copilot Recall? What if such features were “on by default”. What does that even mean?

Total Recall by Microsoft

Microsoft wants us to feel comfortable with surveillance and data-scraping architecture, very comfortable, so much in fact that laptop users have eternal memory uplifted by artificial intelligence chatbots that will remember everything you’re doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next!

In a former life I used to be a tech privacy advocate, but in the era of Generative AI , privacy as we once knew it, seems to be a bit of an afterthought. Only Apple is likely to take privacy as a feature important, we’ll find out on June 10th. Let’s here mention that Microsoft has a long track record of security breaches, but the past few years have been particularly bad for the company.

I’m not a willing participant in Microsoft’s Copilot era currently and who in their right mind would opt-in to Windows 11 again? Would you trust Microsoft with total Recall of your data?

I’ve been a bit vague, but we’re not talking about a hypothetical product here, it actually has been announced, someone at Microsoft thought this would be a good idea:

Microsoft’s AI Recall explained:

👁️‍🗨️ Takes screenshots of everything you do in Windows 11 and uses local small language model to help you search through it

🔎 Stores screenshots locally. You adjust how long they are stored for and how much drive space to dedicate

🍍 Runs on-device NPU

⚖️ Will be on by default, you can turn it off. Or restrict it from snapping specific apps or websites.

Spyware in a Copilot 👁️

Gosh that’s like spyware in a Copilot (🤯) isn’t it? And a cheap clone of Limitless, formerly known as Rewind. You see, I’m actually interested in how Generative AI will supercharge Surveillance Capitalism. 👀

Doesn’t Windows already do this with keystrokes?

Microsoft's built-in keylogger is turned on by default for both Windows 10 and 11. You will need to manually turn the keylogger feature off in your device's Privacy Settings if you don't want Microsoft to log everything you type on your keyboard.

• How to disable Recall?

Let’s look at some of the videos of what Recall is.

What is Recall?

Recall takes snapshots of your screen and stores them in a timeline. Snapshots are taken every five seconds while content on the screen is different from the previous snapshot. Snapshots are locally stored and locally analyzed on your PC.

Source.

Via the Verge

Via the WSJ

Nadella thinks this is integrating “memory” into your work and PC life.

Screenshot from Rewind

What happens when the digital equivalent of the eye of sauron of a Software OS monopoly is the very Operating system you use by default exactly? Serious question though, should we feel comfortable with ‘memory enhancements’ on by default?

So What?

Microsoft's announcement of the new AI-powered Windows 11 Recall feature has sparked a lot of concern, with many thinking that it has created massive privacy risks and a new attack vector that threat actors can exploit to steal data.

The AI & Privacy Concerns

Featuring Sinead Bovell.

The Quick Take

Featuring the YouTube Creator BWOne. (Warren B.)

Microsoft continues to try to force features on their users. Bad idea for privacy, on by default sounds very creepy to the majority of people.

Sharing is Caring

🔁 Every week I give free paid comps to my readers who share my work the most on Notes and elsewhere. That’s a $60-100 value.

Ask yourself and ask your boss, coworkers, partner and family. Do I want what equates to AI powered spyware literally baked into the very fabric of the operating system itself?

• Join our AI Chat on this issue to debate about Recall and share your opinions that is free for all readers.

• Read on for a deep dive on Microsoft Recall that is part Op-Ed and part research. Let’s get into it.