Microsoft has finally announced some significant changes to Windows Recall, its controversial forthcoming AI-powered search service.
It’s been 2 weeks since Microsoft announced its service that takes a snapshot of your PC every 5 seconds but the company has a huge backlash as some people raised privacy and security concerns.
Now, the company released a report addressing these issues by implementing new security measures and making the feature opt-in rather than default so let’s delve into more details below.
Major Updates to Recall Feature’s Security & Privacy
In response to privacy concerns, Microsoft is enhancing the security of Windows Recall data by introducing “just-in-time” protection.
This ensures that the data is only decrypted when the user authenticates into the app using Windows Hello.
The feature previously stored data unencrypted on the device, which raised significant security concerns among users.
Opt-In Experience for Recall Feature
Microsoft is making Windows Recall an opt-in feature, meaning it won’t be enabled by default on Copilot+ PCs.
During the Windows Setup process, users will be prompted to enable or disable the feature. If they choose not to enable it, Windows Recall will remain inactive. This change aims to give users more control over their privacy and data.
READ MORE: How To Disable Windows Recall Feature & Delete Collected Data
Enhanced Security Measures
Microsoft is also introducing additional security requirements for accessing Recall feature data. The updates include:
- Windows Hello Enrollment: Users must set up Windows Hello, which includes facial recognition and/or fingerprint authentication, to enable Windows Recall.
- Proof of Presence: Users must be physically present in front of their screen to access Recall data. If the user is not at their computer, the Recall data will not be accessible.
- Just-in-Time Decryption: Recall snapshots will only be decrypted and accessible when the user authenticates, protected by Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS). Additionally, Microsoft has encrypted the search index database for further security.
Clear Choice During Setup
The setup experience for Copilot+ PCs is being updated to provide a clearer choice for users. If users do not proactively choose to turn on Recall during setup, it will remain off by default.
This change ensures that users are fully informed and have the opportunity to make a conscious decision about using Windows Recall.
Besides, we will recommend you to check out the official report from Microsoft on the official Windows site or you can read it here.
