Recall: Microsoft re-launches ‘privacy nightmare’ AI screenshot tool

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨tardigrada@beehaw.org⁩ to ⁨technology@beehaw.org⁩

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c869glx8endo

Microsoft says it has “listened to feedback” following a privacy row over a new tool which takes regular screenshots of users’ activity.

It was labelled a potential “privacy nightmare” by critics when it was unveiled in May 2024 - prompting the tech giant to postpone its release. It now plans to relaunch the artificial intelligence (AI) powered tool in November on its new CoPilot+ computers.

[…]

When it initially announced the tool at its developer conference in May, Microsoft said it used AI “to make it possible to access virtually anything you have ever seen on your PC”, and likened it to having photographic memory. It said Recall could search through a users’ past activity, including their files, photos, emails and browsing history.

[…]

But critics quickly raised concerns, given the quantity of sensitive data the system would harvest, with one expert labelling it a potential “privacy nightmare."

[…]

[Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and devices says] that “Windows offers tools to help you control your privacy and customise what gets saved for you to find later”.

However a technical blog about it states that “diagnostic data” from the tool may be shared with the firm depending on individual privacy settings.

[Microsoft says in a blog post that users can remove Recall entirely by using the optional features settings in Windows.]

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Comments

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ulkesh@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I have been using Linux off and on for 25 years (using the server pretty consistently, but always hedged with the desktop for various reasons). Since Proton and GE-Proton allow every game I want to play to work in Linux, back when Recall was first announced, I decided to finally stop hedging and went all in on the Linux desktop.

And I’m not going back. Everything is working for me and Microsoft can screw off if they think I’m going to allow such blatant spyware in my house. Their telemetry was always suspect, but this is now overt despite any assurances they attempt to make.

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Butterbee@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
What the heck am I going to do when win10 stops getting security patches? I really wish Valve would open up SteamOS to desktops in a public and supported way. That kind of pressure from valve has forced MS to play nice to users in the past. Anyone remember MS demanding that all software for Win8 be sold through the MS store only? And Valve said, fine we’ll make our own OS, with blackjack! And Hookers! And steam machines became a thing. Noone bought them. But it didn’t matter. It was enough pressure for MS to open up to having 3rd party storefronts again. I feel like we need this again. Also, if linux played nice with anti cheat, and discord I would probably be fine ditching windows but as it stands I’d miss out on playing games with my friends.

Anyway. Privacy Nightmare AI tool bad.

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- thingsiplay@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  SteamOS is focused on gaming, so its not a full replacement for Win10. There are ton of Linux operating systems for general use (even those that SteamOS is based on), without gaming focus and being a “normal” operating system like Windows. And if you want a gaming oriented OS, then there are plenty alternatives already: HoloISO, aiming for a SteamOS like system, and bunch of other: github.com/ChimeraOS/chimeraos/…/OS-Comparison . So there is no need to wait for SteamOS to open up as a general installation media on desktop.
  
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  - Butterbee@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I honestly don’t want to leave windows. I did use linux for years and I don’t want to tinker with my OS or my applications anymore. And you’re right SteamOS isn’t a general purpose OS. My comment was more in the hopes that if it were pushed out like that, that MS would respond with more consumer friendly approaches to the desktop so I wouldn’t HAVE to switch again and deal with the jank. And there will be jank. I know a lot of games work now with proton but how about the Affinity Suite? I found a github that describes how to set up the process in like 18 easy steps so you can begin to install a custom wine for it and just like no I don’t want to do that. I want to just keep using my pc that works with the OS I actually paid money for and not get harvested. I am so tired.
    
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- scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I use Bazzite for my htpc and PopOS for my main PC, both play every game I can throw at it. Maybe it’s time to try it out. I started with a windows dual boot and found myself using it less and less, until just a couple months ago I deleted windows completely
  
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- Vodulas@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Discord works great on Linux nowadays. Depending on the game, anti-cheat might also be fine. I play Helldivers 2 without any issues. It’s fine if you don’t have the oomph, but Pop_OS and Bazzite are both super solid ditros with a gaming focus. I have been using Pop as my only OS on my desktop for months now and really only needed the command line for VPN access and Switch modding
  
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  - kent_eh@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    
    Discord works great on Linux nowadays.
    
    And has done so for quite some time.
    
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- equivocal@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  If I were to speculate, they are waiting for the NVK (Open source NVIDIA driver) to be more mature. So, they wouldn’t have to release two versions and wouldn’t depend on NVIDIA to update their driver to work with software the Steam Deck uses. I.E. Steam Deck uses gamescope for everything outside of Desktop mode. NVIDIA’s driver didn’t work with it until 2 months after the Steam Deck release. Even though it had existed for years prior.
  
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- algorithmae@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  You can keep using win10 without security updates, just be smart about it. Have a good firewall, and just use it for gaming and bills or whatever and you’ll be fine
  
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  - sleepybisexual@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Linux mint looks like windows and is really easy to use
    
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- lvxferre@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Besides what other users said: if you feel comfortable with SteamOS you might want to give EndeavourOS and Manjaro a check - all three distros are based on Arch Linux, and while Arch is geared towards experienced users the later two try to “sell” it towards a wider audience.
  
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  - IrritableOcelot@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Oh my god if you are a new user please do not go straight to Arch or Manjaro. By far the two distros most likely to breaky irreparably.
    
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- Gamers_mate@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Would games with anticheat work in a windows 10 vm? I am not interested in games that go out of their way to not work in wine but if it works in a vm of windows 10 you might be able to use that for gaming and whatever host os for your web browser emails etc.
  
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  - bokster@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    No. They don’t and they wouldn’t.
    
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- GabeMoralesVR@mastodon.gamedev.place ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  @Butterbee @tardigrada steamos is just manjaro with steam installed.
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  - sebsch@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Fortunately valve did not use the System Manjaro provides. This would have been a very stupid business decision.
    
    StreamOS is plain Arch
    
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- beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I was a windows only person forever Ubuntu Linux is way easier than I thought. Most things have a decent Linux version now & idk… if it doesn’t it’s not worth it.
  
  Months and months and I haven’t looked back 🤷‍♂️ So. Maybe you could do that too?
  
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TheLastOfHisName@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
The whole Recall thing is what finally made me get off my lazy ass and make the jump to Linux. I chose PopOS, and I’ve been very impressed with the out-of-the-box experience. Between Steam and Lutris, I can play just about any game I want to.

It feels like I actually own my laptop now.

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Asafum@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
“When asked for further comment Microsoft fucknuts replied with: It’s the best part of being a monopoly in the PC market. Don’t like what we’re doing? Where’s the average user going to go, Linux? BWAHAHAHAHA! Hey normies, get fucked and feed my bank account! He then spat on the reporter and gave a small child the middle finger.”

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Feddinat0r@feddit.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Thanks, ill stick with snipping tool

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- abbadon420@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  No that sucks too. Just use flameshot instead
  
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  - tuhriel@infosec.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Or greenshot, is also quite versatile
    
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- Kissaki@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Using the snipping tool manually every second seems like a lot of work /s
  
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t3rmit3@beehaw.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Ive got all 3 major OSes, and MS doesn’t realize how close they are to being disposable to gamers. If a few more game companies made their catalogs linux-native, they’d be toast.

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- rivalary@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  For the time being, Proton is good enough for me. I think devs/publishers refusing to enable their chosen anticheat to work with Proton is what is holding things back now for tech people. For other people, there’s even bigger challenges, and I doubt they even read up on these “tech nightmares” so they’re good with just continuing on with Windows.
  
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