Microsoft’s AI Recall Feature Under Investigation by UK Watchdog
Microsoft’s AI Recall Feature Under Investigation by UK Watchdog
Microsoft's new AI-powered feature, "Recall," integrated into its Copilot+ PCs, is facing scrutiny from the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). This feature, which periodically takes screenshots of user activity, aims to assist users in remembering and retrieving past content. However, it has raised significant privacy concerns due to its potential to capture sensitive information, such as passwords and private conversations.
The ICO is probing into the privacy implications of the Recall feature, questioning the adequacy of the safeguards Microsoft has put in place. Privacy advocates are particularly alarmed by the continuous and automated nature of screenshot collection, which could lead to extensive logs of user activity being stored locally on devices. This poses a risk if the device is accessed by unauthorized users, potentially exposing personal data.
Despite Microsoft's assurances that the screenshots are encrypted and stored only on the local device, critics argue that the feature does not sufficiently prevent the capture of sensitive information. The lack of content moderation within Recall means that even highly sensitive data, like Social Security numbers or financial details, could be included in these logs. This raises the stakes for device security, as compromised devices could lead to severe privacy breaches.
In response to these concerns, Microsoft has stated that Recall is designed to enhance user productivity by making it easier to find previously viewed content. They emphasize that users can pause the feature or exclude specific applications from being recorded. However, these options might not fully alleviate privacy risks, particularly in shared device scenarios where multiple users have access to the same machine.
