Microsoft’s recall function has not finished talking about it. It will normally be deployed this fall in the final version on all compatible computers. List which is limited to the machines stamped Copilot+ and therefore having a sufficiently powerful NPU.
If Recall causes so many reactions, it is because it regularly takes screenshots to analyze their content. Objective: to allow to find almost anything and anything, like a gigantic history of everything we have done on a PC.
Signal, first to draw
Many criticisms had quickly raised to denounce the nightmare represented by Recall for privacy. To the point that Microsoft had returned to his drawing board and had deeply revised its operation, encrypting all the content, requiring authentication for access and making recall an opt-in function, deactivated by default.
In May, the Signal Foundation announced that the Windows client of its messaging service now blocked by default Recall. In recent days, others have done the same.
Brave and Adguard are doing it
First of all, the browser, which also announced a default blockage on July 22. Except that in his case, the change was much simpler. Microsoft’s mechanism is cut automatically when a browser’s private navigation window is displayed. Where signal had to “tinker” a complete solution, going so far as to cut the possibility of taking captures, brave changed its browser so that all windows were considered private.
The publisher does not try to hide it, indicating that he was “partially inspired” by the work carried out by Signal.
Adguard, which blocks certain unlikely functions on privacy its business, also announced new for recall. In the latest review of the tool, an option has been added to block the function. A strange addition, however, since Recall is not active unless you have been specifically authorized (Windows asks the question in its first configuration assistant on compatible machines).
Optional and uninstalble, but without real API
Recall that in the version that Microsoft is preparing to distribute more widely, Recall is a dedicated application that can be uninstalled. For those interested, options have been added to prohibit its operation when certain sites or specific applications appear on the screen.
However, Microsoft should offer a complete API to handle Recall settings from applications, with consent to the user.
