Friday, June 14th 2024
Microsoft Delays Controversial "Recall" Feature for Windows 11 24H2
Microsoft has made a last-minute decision to pull its much-debated "Recall" feature from the Windows 11 24H2 update set to launch on June 18th. Instead, the company will roll out Recall as a preview through the Windows Insider Program while it works to build user trust and address security concerns. Recall, one of the flagship features of 24H2, creates a searchable 30-day timeline of a user's activities including files, webpages, and screenshots. However, since its announcement on May 20th, Recall has faced heavy criticism over potential privacy risks from storing user data in unencrypted plain text files. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont labeled Recall a "security nightmare" after finding it logged activities to a SQLite database accessible by non-admin accounts. This raised alarms about the depths of user behavior tracked and stored locally on PCs.
Initially, Microsoft had planned for Recall to be enabled by default in 24H2. However, following the backlash, the company backtracked on June 7th, making it an opt-in feature requiring Windows Hello authentication and adding encryption. Those adjustments were still not enough to satisfy Microsoft. In a new blog post, the firm stated Recall did not yet meet its "own standards of quality and security" and that it "must be trustworthy, secure and robust" before a wider rollout. By moving Recall to the Insider Program for further testing and refinement, Microsoft is giving itself more time to get the technology right and rebuild user confidence. A future blog will provide instructions for Insiders to preview Recall on compatible Copilot+ PCs with added security protections.
Source:
Microsoft
Initially, Microsoft had planned for Recall to be enabled by default in 24H2. However, following the backlash, the company backtracked on June 7th, making it an opt-in feature requiring Windows Hello authentication and adding encryption. Those adjustments were still not enough to satisfy Microsoft. In a new blog post, the firm stated Recall did not yet meet its "own standards of quality and security" and that it "must be trustworthy, secure and robust" before a wider rollout. By moving Recall to the Insider Program for further testing and refinement, Microsoft is giving itself more time to get the technology right and rebuild user confidence. A future blog will provide instructions for Insiders to preview Recall on compatible Copilot+ PCs with added security protections.
81 Comments on Microsoft Delays Controversial "Recall" Feature for Windows 11 24H2
They made the announcement, everybody went berserk, it gained notoriety, they heard what they wanted to hear and now they will improve things in one way or another. A tale as old as time.
1996 - Microsoft previews VB Script, everybody yells at them it adds a huge attack surface. Microsoft releases anyway, a new family of computer viruses is born.
2024 - Microsoft announces an unencrypted data honeypot, everybody yells at them it adds a huge attack surface. Microsoft promises to go back to the drawing board, we're waiting to see how this plays out.
It's not the exact same story, but I also see no problem with the public telling Microsoft to shove it.
Here's an article that explains it pretty well: arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/windows-recall-demands-an-extraordinary-level-of-trust-that-microsoft-hasnt-earned/
And don't miss the promoted comment either.
I mean, I get it. It was stupid from a lot of points of view, some of them even terrifying, but forcing yourself into beta testing sometimes bites you in the ass.
Like I said, wait for the official release and then we can go rampage on them if it is shady, insecure, bad or whatever.
It paints the exact opposite picture Microsoft needs.
Otherwise yes, quite a blunder, but no harm, no foul. Yet.
Granted, we're always subject to some exposure through digital communications, but Recall has the potential to be an express lane for bad actors. If MS can't anticipate this and understand the level of concern we might have with this feature, then there is no trust. After the backlash, MS didn't offer assurances that they actually did anticipate these concerns and demonstrate how they got it right. Instead, they backtracked significantly.