Microsoft’s annual developer conference, Build, is currently taking place in Seattle, and the company has made several AI-related announcements that have caught the attention of the tech industry. One of these announcements is the introduction of Recall, a feature on their new Copilot+ PCs that records a user’s screen activity, including mouse movements and application actions. This feature allows users to go back and replay their actions to find specific details or interactions. While Microsoft describes Recall as a way to have “photographic memory” on your PC, some observers have raised concerns about privacy and security.
To address these concerns, Microsoft has emphasized that the data recorded by Recall is stored entirely on the user’s device in a “personal semantic index.” Users have full control over their snapshots and can delete individual ones or adjust and delete ranges of time. They can also filter out specific apps and websites from being saved. Microsoft assures users that the data is stored in an encrypted format and will never be sent to the cloud or used to train AI models.
Despite these assurances, some users on social media platforms have expressed alarm over Recall, comparing it to spyware or keyloggers. They worry about the potential risks if a device with stored activity data is seized by a government agency or if it falls into the hands of hackers. They also point out that Microsoft has been the target of previous cyber attacks, making the on-device storage of activity data a potential target for hackers.
Even in less extreme scenarios, users are concerned about the possibility of sensitive information, such as passwords, being accessed through the Recall feature if a device is lost or stolen. Elon Musk even compared the feature to an episode of the dystopian series “Black Mirror.”
It remains to be seen how this backlash will affect sales of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs, and whether any concrete harms will arise from the Recall feature. However, it is clear that privacy and security are significant concerns for users, and Microsoft will need to address these concerns to maintain trust in their products. Ultimately, the success of the Recall feature will depend on whether it can provide the benefits of rewinding to the past without sacrificing privacy and safety.