Windows 11’s ‘privacy nightmare’ will no longer be enabled by default

After the initial surprise of applications like ChatGPT or Dall-E, generative AI is losing followers and gaining critics. The recent controversy over Adobe and the alleged use of AI is a good example of changing public opinion towards this technology.

Another AI-based feature that has sparked controversy is Recall, which will record everything we do in Windows 11, including photos and private data. The reminder works like a “time machine”, take a screenshot every 3 secondswhich is analyzed by AI to find information we might need, like what apps we had open or what we were saying in a WhatsApp chat.

Copilot’s AI will use this information to offer us all kinds of help, from reminding us of the message we sent, to returning to the web page we need, and even reopening the same programs. Copilot+ PCs were going to ship with recall enabled by default, to help us from day one.

However, early on, this feature received widespread criticism from privacy and cybersecurity experts, who said that Recall could be used to steal passwords and get all types of sensitive information from chats and emails. Many users took to social media to express their concern that their computer could be spying on everything they did.

Today, Microsoft addressed these concerns with an update that changes some aspects of Recall. The biggest change is that The reminder will no longer be activated by default, one of the biggest criticisms the feature received. The Copilot+ PC settings, which are activated when we install the update or when we start the computer for the first time, will now offer the possibility to activate or deactivate the reminder according to our preferences. Microsoft has promised that if we don’t proactively enable it, it won’t activate on its own.

Another important change is that Reminder can only be used if Windows Hello is enabled. The computer will therefore have to verify that it is really us before starting to record what we do, either with a password or with facial recognition if we have a compatible webcam; In addition, we will also be asked for this identification to be able to use Recall and see what we have done in the past.

Finally, Microsoft announced additional layers of data protection, including continuous encryption of Recall captures. Now these screenshots will remain encrypted and will only be decrypted when we authenticate with Windows Hello. Likewise, the database will also be encrypted.

Recall is the most important new feature of the next Windows 11 update, and the pillar of the Copilot+ PC concept. Computers that receive this badge will be able to perform advanced AI functions locally, thanks to the use of new processors with NPU; Qualcomm will be first, but Intel and AMD have already introduced Copilot+ PC compatible chips. An important detail is that Recall is only designed for PC Copilot+ systems, so current computers will not be able to activate it, at least not officially.