Microsoft resurrects Windows Recall for upcoming preview
- Reference: 1724326574
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/08/22/microsoft_recall_redux/
- Source link:
[1]Windows Recall first appeared at Microsoft Build 2024 in May. It was swiftly described as a privacy nightmare as users digested what it did: Effectively taking a snapshot of the user's Windows desktop every few seconds and dumping it to disk. Users could search for past activities using a simple search function or by dragging a timeline bar.
It was to be a killer feature on Microsoft's Copilot+ Windows PCs, using AI wizardry for analysis... and then the wheels came off in spectacular fashion.
[2]
While Microsoft's presentation alarmed many ordinary users, [3]security types quickly tore the tech to pieces . Cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont wrote: "In essence, a keylogger is being baked into Windows as a feature."
[4]
[5]
Eventually, on June 13, Microsoft removed its fingers from its ears and [6]pulled the engineering prototype , dubbed a "preview," from a broad Copilot+ PC release to something that would hit Windows Insiders first. At the time, Microsoft said the Windows Insider preview would arrive "in the coming weeks."
Weeks have turned into months, but finally Recall [7]is set to be released to Microsoft's army of unpaid testers, the Windows Insiders. Then it will be made available on all Copilot+ PCs.
[8]PC sales inch upwards as market starts to upgrade its hardware
[9]Windows 11 is closing the gap on Windows 10
[10]Windows: Insecure by design
[11]Microsoft cancels universal Recall release in favor of Windows Insider preview
Microsoft said it wanted to "leverage the valuable expertise of our Windows Insider community," and perhaps even take on board their feedback before wider availability.
It had entirely failed to listen to criticisms over the infamous launch of Windows 10's [12]Update of the Damned , which turned up in October 2018 with the potential to delete users' files. Microsoft was eventually [13]forced to pull that update .
[14]
While Microsoft famously decided to skip the Windows Insider Release Preview ring for the October 2018 update, Insiders had reported issues with the build. The Windows giant elected to press ahead regardless.
In the years since, Microsoft has [15]come under fire for its quality control and [16]questionable approach to security , something the company has [17]striven to address .
It is not yet clear what changes Microsoft has made to Recall ahead of its preview release to the Windows Insider community. It didn't specify, though we have asked. At the time of the company's decision to pull the preview in June, it said that it would be adding "just in time" decryption and that Windows Insiders would need a Copilot+ PC.
[18]
The original Recall Preview showed that Microsoft did not appear to have learned all the lessons it could have from the Windows 10 October 2018 Update debacle. Hopefully, it will listen to feedback from Windows Insiders before unleashing another ill-conceived service on users. ®
Get our [19]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/22/windows_recall/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zsdgo-FDMakn8JOTZBNRQgAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/04/microsoft_analysts_recall/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zsdgo-FDMakn8JOTZBNRQgAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zsdgo-FDMakn8JOTZBNRQgAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/microsoft_recall_release_delayed/
[7] https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2024/06/07/update-on-the-recall-preview-feature-for-copilot-pcs/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/pc_market_grows_for_third/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/windows_11_adoption/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/28/windows_insecure_by_design/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/14/microsoft_recall_release_delayed/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/03/microsoft_windows_10_1809/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/08/microsoft_windows_10_pulled/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zsdgo-FDMakn8JOTZBNRQgAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2018/10/23/microsoft_windows_10_crisis/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/21/microsoft_national_security_risk/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/03/microsoft_secure_future_initiative/
[18] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zsdgo-FDMakn8JOTZBNRQgAAAAc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[19] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Déjà vu
The Mantra: You are running our OS. Therefore, all your data are belongs to us.
No matter what they do there is no way to make this feature secure and private. All you will need is access to a device to see everything the user has done.
Police, TLAs and border security must be salivating at the opportunity.
Which is one reason why the first thing I did when I got a new laptop is to nuke Windows from orbit ("its the only way to be sure") and replace it with Linux.
...nuke Windows from orbit...
Surely, the software will be dead. But, does the hardware survive an ICBM EMF hit?
RE: security and privacy...
and it is up to Big Business to, ironically, protect us all, as they are the only ones with significant enough market power to tell MS their concerns or, even better, the various laws that Windows Recall will openly violate. I'll get flamed for this but MS isn't different than any other modern major corporation: customer concerns don't give a fsck unless it seriously impacts their quarterlies. Us small users don't have much say but when a big Fortune 500 company tells MS off, hopefully they'll listen.
Re: RE: security and privacy...
Oh, I expect the big businesses will get premium features to switch it off for themselves, or to be able to look through other people's histories. It's us little people who need keeping an eye on.
Re: Police, TLAs and border security must be salivating at the opportunity
Are you kidding ? Facebook is drowning them in its drool.
You missed the Ministry of Truth (or whatever your specific country may call it) in your list.
"something the company has striven to address"
Really ?
Adding Ai is not re-hiring a QC department, so I don't think so.
That said, the day Windows will be handled by AI is the day it might stop being so unreliable (as far as updates are concerned).
All together now...
MS FUCK OFF.
Better find a different OS to access all your sensitive accounts and information with cause this is just a catastrophe waiting to happen. Hopefully you can at least turn it off for now.
I'm sure it has a large "off" button that goes click, but does it really actually turn it off?
Well no, but it does make a satisfying and loud clicking sound.
We used to put fake thermostats in offices to reduce complaints about the temperature.
It worked exceedingly well.
I'm sure it has a large "off" button that goes click, but does it really actually turn it off?
It probably has a label with convoluted wording including several negatives which, when carefully parsed, evaluates to "On".
I use QubesOS.
https://www.qubes-os.org/
Every time I want to access a sensitive account, I spin up a disposable VM. When done it is destroyed.
You can run a Windows guest if you want...though my sound did not work when I tried it a couple years back.
It can be somewhat picky on hardware, but they have a sort of HCL that users keep up to date.
And nothing
... was learned.
Typical M$.
Copilot+ PC
Let's find out what a Copilot+ PC actually is. So I can avoid it, and stay away from it.
Re: Copilot+ PC
Based on previous H/W marketing it will be labelled prominently. However it will only be the more expensive models which, when loaded up with even more memory, will run anything useful* in under an hour.
* "Useful" being liberally interpreted, this being AI/ML
How soon before companies start banning Windows PCs for feat of leaking trade secrets? I can imagine it making its way into contracts too...
@Zippy - You'd wish that!
Companies will just spend more money paying for products that supposedly offer increased security and keep on using the same platform to do business.
OK, if MS think this is such a useful tool, be honest about what it does, what data it collects and when, and make it opt in. If users find it useful, they will use it. Otherwise, leave those of us who have concerns with the security, but still ahve to use Windows, out of it..
Personally, I don't need such a system. I'm perfectly capable of keeping track of what I am doing, and naming things logically. As such, I'd get little use out of this system, and I'd rather not risk my security by having my screen scraped, even if the resulting screen shots are held securely.
Déjà vu
It's back, MS aren't going to miss an opportunity like this to harvest your data, bugger the security concerns.