Microsoft Abandons Controversial Recall Feature

On May 20, 2024, Microsoft announced Copilot+ PCs, Windows computers with built-in AI capabilities designed to make everyday tasks more seamless. Recall was the centerpiece feature of the Copilot+ PCs, offering something completely new for users. With Recall, users could go back in time through a timeline or with the search function to access the information on their screens before. So, essentially, your PC would remember everything you have done, and this would make finding files and pages on your computer much easier than before.

Since then, Microsoft has backed off from its plans twice. This happened because of criticism from many users who felt the feature was not secure enough and were concerned about the privacy of their data. So, at first, Microsoft announced the addition of a few more security measures on June 7, 2024. According to these measures, the Recall feature would be off by default and Windows Hello enrollment would be required to enable the feature. Moreover, Microsoft decided to add additional layers of data protection.

However, one week later, on June 13, 2024, Microsoft released an update to the previous article in order to address the concerns more clearly. The company decided to delay the feature release date that was supposed to be released alongside Copilot+ PC on June 18, 2024. Then Microsoft noted that Recall would be released as a preview experience first available in the Windows Insider Program (WIP). “We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security,” Microsoft stated in the update.

Members of the Windows Insider Program started testing an early version of Recall, but suddenly, with the release of Build 26241.5000 on June 19, no traces of Recall were found, and Microsoft even removed the previous Windows build from its servers. So, now everything looks grim for the controversial feature, and there is no official news that tells us if Microsoft has completely abandoned it or if it will come back later.

Backlash Over Recall: Why was it so Divisive?

You might ask, what is the reason for all this controversy around Recall? Why have many people expressed concern about the feature’s security and privacy? Well, everything is tied to the way Recall functions. Recall takes continuous screenshots from the user’s screen and stores them on the device in order to provide the info quickly. The easy access to files, conversations, and sensitive info is exactly why many people are concerned about the feature.

A well-known security researcher, Kevin Beaumont, tested the early version of the feature and covered the risks of using Recall in an article. “It is everything you did in recent memory — and it’s instantly available to malicious software and individuals. If you have malware running on your PC for only minutes, you have a big problem in your life now rather than just changing some passwords.” He said. Moreover, he points out that all the data is stored in an easily accessible SQLite database. He believes this kind of feature needs to be released with the maximum security measures, and as it is right now, it’s not enough.

In a more official criticism of the feature, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) released a statement in response to Microsoft’s Recall feature, and clearly, there will be an investigation into the risks of using Recall: “We are making inquiries with Microsoft to understand the safeguards in place to protect user privacy.” ICO expects Microsoft to consider data protection seriously and mitigate risks before bringing products to market.

Considering all the concerns and security expectations, Microsoft has a tough job satisfying users’ needs and minimizing the risks of using Recall. All in all, Recall is still one of the most exciting Windows features of recent memory, and it’ll be a shame if it doesn’t come back in a more secure form in the future.