Microsoft, facing scrutiny over the security of its products, is withdrawing a new artificial intelligence feature of its Windows software for new PCs from broad release and instead will test it with a smaller group.
Recall, a Windows feature unveiled in May, creates a record of everything people do on their PCs — an approach that’s intended to make it easier to handle tasks such as sorting through e-mails or searching files. Microsoft planned to release Recall broadly on 18 June, but said it will now be available in the coming weeks only in the Windows Insider Programme.
“We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security,” the company said Thursday in a blog post on its website. “Following receiving feedback on Recall from our Windows Insider Community, as we typically do, we plan to make Recall (preview) available for all Copilot+ PCs coming soon.”
Off by default
Security researchers criticised Recall almost immediately after its introduction, saying that bad actors could access and scoop up records that are gathered by the tool and stored locally on a user’s PC. Microsoft reacted by saying Recall would be shipped in the “off” position, meaning PC owners would have to choose to use the feature. Additional security measure would be needed before Recall could be activated, the company said. — Andrew Pollack, (c) 2024 Bloomberg LP
