U.K. regulators scrutinize Microsoft’s Windows 11 ‘Recall’ feature

Microsoft’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence technology is facing increased scrutiny from regulators concerned about potential privacy violations. The tech giant made waves at its annual developer conference, Microsoft Build, by unveiling a new line of laptops equipped with AI hardware and support for AI applications. However, one particular feature called Recall has sparked controversy.

Recall uses AI to create a “photographic memory” of a user’s laptop activity, allowing them to search through past actions. Essentially, Recall constantly takes screenshots of a user’s computer activity, whether it’s browsing the web, watching videos, or using apps. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described it as being able to “recreate moments from the past.”

The announcement of Recall was met with backlash from privacy advocates, consumers, and even Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK has reached out to Microsoft for more information on the feature, emphasizing the need to assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms before launching such products.

Microsoft has assured users that Recall snapshots are stored locally on the PCs, encrypted, and can only be accessed by the individual who signed into the computer. Users have the ability to filter out specific apps or websites from being scanned, pause snapshot collection, and delete stored snapshots. The company also highlighted its commitment to privacy in a blog post, stating that even the AI on the device cannot access private content. IT admins can disable Recall and implement policies to filter specific apps and websites.