NAIROBI, Kenya – Microsoft has announced a pause in the rollout of its new artificial intelligence feature “Recall” following concerns over privacy and security.
Originally slated to debut with the new Copilot+ PC range on June 18, the tech giant has decided to delay the launch to gather further feedback and ensure the feature meets high standards.
Recall is designed to periodically take snapshots of a user’s screen, encrypting and storing them for analysis by AI.
This allows users to search for past information, effectively creating a timeline of all their digital activities, from web pages and documents to emails and chat threads.
However, the feature has faced significant criticism since its announcement in May.
Security experts have raised alarms about the potential for privacy breaches, despite Microsoft’s assurances that all data would be processed locally and kept secure.
In response to these concerns, Microsoft announced several changes to Recall’s implementation earlier this month.
These changes include making the feature opt-in, ensuring users have control over its activation, and requiring identity verification through Windows Hello methods like facial recognition or fingerprint scanning.
Despite these enhancements, the company has decided to further delay the feature’s public release.
“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. “This decision is rooted in our commitment to providing a trusted, secure, and robust experience for all customers and to seek additional feedback prior to making the feature available to all Copilot+ PC users.”
Instead of a broad release, Recall will now be available exclusively to members of the Windows Insider Program.
This group of testers will provide crucial feedback that will help Microsoft refine the feature before a wider launch.
The company has not specified a new release date but mentioned that the feature will be accessible to testers in the coming weeks.
Privacy and Security Measures
Recall’s ability to take screenshots every few seconds and store them in an encrypted timeline has been the primary focus of privacy concerns.
Critics argue that even with encryption and local processing, the feature could be exploited if not properly secured.
The opt-in model and required authentication aim to mitigate these risks, but Microsoft acknowledges that more feedback and testing are necessary to ensure these measures are effective.
Microsoft’s cautious approach reflects its commitment to security and user trust. The company emphasizes that it prefers to delay the feature rather than risk compromising users’ privacy.
As the tech community closely watches, the eventual rollout of Recall will be a significant test of Microsoft’s ability to balance innovative AI capabilities with robust security protections.
For now, the focus remains on gathering comprehensive feedback from the Windows Insider community to refine and enhance Recall.
Further updates will be provided as the feature progresses through its testing phase.
