After facing sharp criticism, Microsoft announced the launch of its new Copilot Plus computers next week without the controversial Recall feature, which tracks everything you do on your device. This feature will only be available for testing to subscribers of the Windows Insider Program.
The Recall feature, based on the AI models in Windows 11, tracks web browsing, voice chats, and all activities on your device to create a stored log that users can search when they need to remember something they did, even months later.
Microsoft designed everything in Recall to remain local and private on your device, ensuring no data is used to train Microsoft's AI models.
In a blog post, Microsoft stated:
"Recall will now only be available for preview on the Windows Insider Program (WIP) in the coming weeks, rather than being broadly available to Copilot Plus users on June 18."The company also mentioned:
"We are adjusting the feature's release to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community, providing a reliable, secure, and robust experience for all customers and seeking additional feedback before making the feature available to all Copilot Plus PC users."Microsoft first revealed Recall as part of the upcoming Copilot Plus computers, but since then, privacy advocates and security experts have warned that Recall could be a cybersecurity disaster.
Privacy concerns have been raised, with some social media users fearing it could facilitate spying on them.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk described it in a post as a “Black Mirror episode,” comparing it to the Netflix series that explores the harmful impacts of advanced technology.
Despite the criticism, Microsoft committed to three standards for the Recall feature:
- The feature is locked and requires explicit activation by the user.
- Windows Hello must be used to unlock the computer if it is secured with facial recognition.
- When opening the Recall feature and attempting to browse stored data, identity confirmation via facial recognition is required again.
