The highly anticipated Windows Recall feature was the highlight of the conversation when it was unveiled in June, concurrent with the launch of Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 PCs. The functionality of Recall offers an innovative approach to digital navigation, allowing users to trace back their digital activities using a timeline scrubber or by conducting natural-language searches to find specific items.
For instance, if you were browsing for an orange sofa but didn’t bookmark it, you could simply search “orange couch,” and theoretically, Recall should locate it. While this feature could prove incredibly useful for those who frequently forget their online activities, some security professionals have dubbed it a “privacy nightmare.”
Their concerns stem from the fact that Recall captures everything, from harmless activities like shopping or browsing to sensitive information such as online banking passwords. Consequently, Microsoft decided to postpone the release of Recall to October. However, on September 27th, the tech giant based in Redmond laid out its plans to enhance the safety and security of Recall for users.
With Recall still in its preview stage, only Windows Insiders will have access to the feature in October. But even in this testing phase, Microsoft has revealed certain measures it has adopted to make this AI-powered tool safer for users.
Firstly, Recall is an opt-in feature and won’t be automatically enabled on Copilot+ PCs such as the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11. When setting up a Copilot+ PC, users will be prompted to choose whether they want to opt into Recall.
Secondly, if opting out isn’t sufficient, users have the option to completely eliminate Recall from their Copilot+ PC, ensuring it doesn’t exist on their system at all.
Thirdly, Microsoft has assured that any data collected via Recall is encrypted. In layman’s terms, the encryption of Recall’s data is protected in three ways. The PC’s security chip, known as the TPM, securely manages Recall data. This means even in the case of a breach, only authorized users can access it.
Furthermore, access to Recall data is only granted via Windows Hello, which uses biometric authentication like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning to ensure only authorized users can view the data.
Finally, the “VBS Enclave” is a technical term for a separate environment within a PC that shields sensitive data from the main operating system. This is where Recall will securely process snapshots.
Microsoft emphasized that Recall data is not shared with third parties or other users on the same PC, and users have full control over what Recall tracks. They can filter out certain apps and websites and can delete snapshots, pause, or turn off the feature at any time. Any future data sharing options will require explicit action by the user.
