Microsoft Recall Feature Triggers Privacy Fears Over AI Screen Tracking
Microsoft unveils an AI tool called Recall that captures continuous screenshots to help users search their past activity, but privacy experts warn the data is highly vulnerable. Regulators in the UK are already investigating the potential security risks of this new feature.
Microsoft introduces a new AI tool called Recall for Windows computers that acts as a digital time machine. The feature regularly takes screenshots of everything on a user's screen and stores the data locally on the device. It then uses artificial intelligence to make this visual history searchable by context rather than just keywords.
Privacy experts express serious concerns about the potential for misuse if a device falls into the wrong hands. University of Maryland professor Jen Golbeck warns that the tool creates a potential nightmare because users cannot protect themselves by using incognito mode or clearing their browser history. The AI has access to everything that ever appears on the screen.
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office states it is actively investigating the Recall feature to understand the safeguards in place to protect user privacy. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella insists that the screenshots never leave the user's computer and that web searches only work within the company's Edge browser, but regulators still expect full transparency about how the personal data is processed.