What is the Recall feature that Microsoft is investigating?

Microsoft has just announced the Recall feature on Copilot+ computers, with the ability to automatically collect user data to provide accurate suggestions about user needs, as well as find previously accessed content. .

What is Recall?

Recall is a new feature for Microsoft's Copilot+ PC line that takes screenshots of your activity on your PC every few seconds. It uses these screenshots along with computer activity histories to create a searchable history of your PC usage.

Recall collects information about what you've browsed, files you've opened, and even emails (if you use Microsoft Outlook). Microsoft says this will “make it easier for you to find and remember things you've seen using natural language,” using AI to give users a “visual memory” of anything they've seen .

For example: You're shopping online and see a nice white t-shirt. A few days later, you want to find that website again but don't remember the name. With Recall, you just need to type “white t-shirt” into the search bar. Recall will display all screenshots related to white t-shirts that you have previously viewed, making it easy for you to find the desired website again.

Security and privacy may be compromised

Microsoft says all collected data will be saved on the user's computer and “not accessible by Microsoft or anyone who does not have permission to access the device”, which will reduce the risk of hackers accessing the data. your data.

But experts warn the files will not be censored in any way once they are stored, meaning personal information such as visible passwords or visible personal information will be kept in the snapshot screen.

“There may be information on the screen that is sensitive or confidential to the user; Does Windows record this information?”