Microsoft Makes Recall Opt-In While Improving Privacy

After facing criticism over privacy concerns, Microsoft has made significant improvements to its Windows Recall feature, now offering it as an opt-in feature. Users now have the choice of what information they want to share while using Recall.

Microsoft Recall Now Available As An Opt-In Feature With Improved Privacy

Microsoft recently provided an update on the much-discussed Windows Recall feature.

In a blog post by David Weston, Vice President of Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft, detailed information about the architecture of Recall was shared. In addition to technical details, Microsoft also highlighted the privacy measures that have been implemented in Recall.

It was clarified that Recall will only be active if users choose to opt-in. By enabling Recall, users allow the tool to capture snapshots, while it remains inactive and takes no snapshots if not enabled. For those concerned about privacy, Microsoft has included an option to remove Recall from Windows through the optional feature settings.

Security for Recall users is ensured through TPM-protected encryption. Accessing the encryption keys requires a Windows Hello sign-in and is only done within the Virtualization-based Security Enclave (VBS Enclave). Additionally, the feature incorporates rate-limiting, tamper-proofing, and anti-hammering measures to prevent malware attacks.

Microsoft also emphasized that Recall does not share data or snapshots with Microsoft or any third parties. Users can rest assured that their data is not being shared with other users on the same device.

Once activated, users have the ability to control when Recall takes snapshots, delete stored snapshots, and customize the disk space allocated for snapshot storage. Notifications will be generated with a visible system tray alerting users when snapshots are being taken.

Earlier this year, Recall sparked privacy concerns within the security community regarding its data access. There were worries that Recall would start logging user activities, compromising their privacy. However, Microsoft’s recent update indicates significant enhancements to the tool, making it an opt-in feature and improving the overall user experience.

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