Microsoft Revamps Recall for Copilot+ PCs With a Focus on Security Concerns

[ymdhis]

Using AI to make it easier to search on your PC isn't exactly a bad idea, I have a very large amount of pics on my machine and very often can't find the one I'm looking for. If AI allowed you to search your gallery like "that image where x does y while wearing a red dress", that could be neat.

But making screenshots of your activity every other second to index the AI, that's a very big no-no.

I don't understand what the hell is so wrong at Microsoft. Ever since Windows 7, they completely lost the plot. To be fair Windows 7 was so good because it was just what Vista should have been in the first place.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Also lol at all the Bitlocker claims here, just lol.

Oh? Please do explain..

The biggest illicit access is presumably done by Microsoft themselves

Exactly.

I don't understand what the hell is so wrong at Microsoft. Ever since Windows 7, they completely lost the plot. To be fair Windows 7 was so good because it was just what Vista should have been in the first place.

You mean Windows 8? With Windows 7 things were fine.

 

[tfdsaf]

After windows 10 I will be moving to Linux, with Vulkan it is solid for most games and its actually better for apps than windows. So when win10 has no more security updates, I will be moving to Linux.

 

[AusWolf]

After windows 10 I will be moving to Linux, with Vulkan it is solid for most games and its actually better for apps than windows. So when win10 has no more security updates, I will be moving to Linux.

I'll wait until there are no more drivers for my hardware on Windows 10, and then I'll do the same.

 

[lexluthermiester]

After windows 10 I will be moving to Linux, with Vulkan it is solid for most games and its actually better for apps than windows. So when win10 has no more security updates, I will be moving to Linux.

Or you could debloat your Windows 11 install. Just saying..

 

[AusWolf]

Or you could debloat your Windows 11 install. Just saying..

That's too much effort for a paid OS, imo. Linux comes with no bloat for free.

 

[lexluthermiester]

That's too much effort for a paid OS, imo.

Not really that difficult anymore.

https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/

Linux comes with no bloat for free.

While that's true, it doesn't mean it's a great solution for everyone.

 

[AusWolf]

Not really that difficult anymore.

https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/

Going through all this doesn't look any less complicated than installing Linux to me.

While that's true, it doesn't mean it's a great solution for everyone.

That is true.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Going through all this doesn't look any less complicated than installing Linux to me.

It's really not that complicated.

 

[AusWolf]

It's really not that complicated.

Neither is installing Linux, but each to their own. I might try both one day just for fun.

 

[WatchThe80s]

Ah! Recall is a feature. I forgot about it.

 

[Draconis]

Neither is installing Linux, but each to their own. I might try both one day just for fun.

I recently tried Linux for my home gaming system. With the latest Ubuntu LTS release it was dead simple to get it installed and run Steam, just go with the open source drivers and don't mess with the AMD one.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Neither is installing Linux, but each to their own.

That's a really good point. Most flavors of Linux are really easy to install these days. But we're meandering again, so I digress.

 

[chrcoluk]

They have done something like this on their android app.

So I got the android app working, and then within a day it notifies me it has created an album from all photos on my phone done in September. Luckily you can turn this option off, but only if you have auth'd on the app. It still creates these albums even with the app installed not linked to an account, and with no account setup the app settings cant be accessed.

After I turned that off, I noticed it kept adding pictures on the home screen in a "for you" section, I had at this point blocked access to the phone's file system whilst I decide whether to ditch onedrive on android, but I do still automatically backup all my pictures on PC to one drive, and it was picking random picture's uploaded from my PC to show in the android app in a "for you" section. Microsoft have completely lost the plot, I dont want a online drive app to be a media presentation app, and unlike the first feature this cannot be turned off, you can only disable the app notifying you. There is a thread on reddit where someone linked to a Microsoft support post which states they are complying with privacy laws and have no plans to make the feature optional.

I had issues with google's windows app installing a background process that scans running processes on the system, the reason I stopped using google drive for my main cloud storage, at this point I might just order a hetzner storage cloud account, I just want a no thrills cloud storage that supports multiple methods of access, but not sure how well that can interact with the android file sharing api.

 

[lexluthermiester]

They have done something like this on their android app.

So I got the android app working, and then within a day it notifies me it has created an album from all photos on my phone done in September. Luckily you can turn this option off, but only if you have auth'd on the app. It still creates these albums even with the app installed not linked to an account, and with no account setup the app settings cant be accessed.

After I turned that off, I noticed it kept adding pictures on the home screen in a "for you" section, I had at this point blocked access to the phone's file system whilst I decide whether to ditch onedrive on android, but I do still automatically backup all my pictures on PC to one drive, and it was picking random picture's uploaded from my PC to show in the android app in a "for you" section. Microsoft have completely lost the plot, I dont want a online drive app to be a media presentation app, and unlike the first feature this cannot be turned off, you can only disable the app notifying you. There is a thread on reddit where someone linked to a Microsoft support post which states they are complying with privacy laws and have no plans to make the feature optional.

I had issues with google's windows app installing a background process that scans running processes on the system, the reason I stopped using google drive for my main cloud storage, at this point I might just order a hetzner storage cloud account, I just want a no thrills cloud storage that supports multiple methods of access, but not sure how well that can interact with the android file sharing api.

Why would anyone download that app? That seems absolutely daft in the head..

 

[Easo]

Oh? Please do explain..

It's industry standard on a Windows platform for a reason. It almost never has issues in my own personal experience (up to 1k PCs over last 10+ years, going through over 10 generations of mostly HP computers). Places like Sysadmin reddit does not hate it at all (and most of posters there have an axe to grind with Microsoft).

Half of the issues here are anecdotal at best and more than likely made by people who do not read the documentation or believe in clickbait stories.

 

[lexluthermiester]

It's industry standard on a Windows platform for a reason.

That doesn't make it a good thing and the use of it should NEVER be forced on users.

 

[Easo]

That doesn't make it a good thing and the use of it should NEVER be forced on users.

The thing is - why do you think it's a "bad thing"? And the whole OH EM GEE IT'S FORCED at some point becomes ridiculous. According to the randos on internet security patches are also "forced" on them and they themselves "know better how to stay secure/would never get hacked" because reasons.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The thing is - why do you think it's a "bad thing"?

Because it limits other options and makes certain things a pain in the ass. So yes, bitlocker is a bad thing in many situations. Forcing people to use the crap microsoft creates instead of making it an option people can choose, or not, is ALWAYS a bad thing.

 

[AusWolf]

The thing is - why do you think it's a "bad thing"? And the whole OH EM GEE IT'S FORCED at some point becomes ridiculous. According to the randos on internet security patches are also "forced" on them and they themselves "know better how to stay secure/would never get hacked" because reasons.

Forcing the use of AI that handles your personal data is not the same as a security patch that protects your data.

Edit: It reminds me... What about GDPR? Isn't the forced use of Copilot a violation of it?

 

[Wasteland]

Interesting. Recall is now apparently a dependency of Windows' File Manager, as of update 24h2.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Interesting. Recall is now apparently a dependency of Windows' File Manager, as of update 24h2.

WTF? Haven't seen this yet. Gonna check it.

 

[AusWolf]

Interesting. Recall is now apparently a dependency of Windows' File Manager, as of update 24h2.

I'm so glad I'm still on Windows 10 22H2!

 

[Draconis]

I have Win 11 24H2 installed on my work desktop. I tried disabling Recall and thankfully as it it doesn't qualify as a Copilot PC, Recall is not installed at all.

 

[AVATARAT]

Remove Copilot, set some settings - done.
Yes, it's not for normal users and it's bad for them, but otherwise - I don't see a problem.

This "Cloud Content" has been there for a long time, most of you use it if you haven't turned it off

There's probably a difference between 10 and 11, but you've had it, so - Enjoy!