Windows Recall To Begin Rollout In October

Microsoft plans to move ahead with its plans to deploy its controversial Windows Recall feature, with the Windows Insiders receiving it in October.

Windows Recall is Microsoft’s AI-powered feature that takes screenshots of virtually everything a user does on a Copilot+ PC, giving users the ability to easily search through documents, videos, messages, and far more, using natural language expressions. Unfortunately, security experts quickly found major flaws with Recall, with it quickly being labeled a privacy and security nightmare.

As a result of the backlash, Microsoft opted to delay rollout of the feature, as Pavan Davuluri—Corporate Vice President, Windows + Devices—said at the time.

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. This decision is rooted in our commitment to providing a trusted, secure and robust experience for all customers and to seek additional feedback prior to making the feature available to all Copilot+ PC users. Additionally, as we shared in our May 3 blog, security is our top priority at Microsoft, in line with our Secure Future Initiative (SFI). This is reflected in additional security protections we are providing for Recall content, including “just in time” decryption protected by Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS), so Recall snapshots will only be decrypted and accessible when the user authenticates. The development of Copilot+ PCs, Recall and Windows will continue to be guided by SFI.

According to an update to a company blog post, Microsoft is now slated to deliver Windows Recall to Windows Insiders in October.

With a commitment to delivering a trustworthy and secure Recall (preview) experience on Copilot+ PCs for customers, we’re sharing an update that Recall will be available to Windows Insiders starting in October. As previously shared on June 13, we have adjusted our release approach to leverage the valuable expertise of our Windows Insider community prior to making Recall available for all Copilot+ PCs. Security continues to be our top priority and when Recall is available for Windows Insiders in October we will publish a blog with more details.

Microsoft clearly believes it has addressed the privacy and security issues that were painfully evident in the first incarnation of the feature, but only time will tell if the company has truly solved the issues.

As we wrote in our initial analysis, Windows Recall is a perfect example of the type of feature that exemplifies the old adage ‘just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.’ Many users expressed concern and doubts about a feature that essentially spies on everything they do.

Even if Microsoft lives up to its commitment to only process Recall data on-device, and not move it to the cloud, it still presents a tempting target for hackers and bad actors to exploit. Given Microsoft’s poort cybersecurity history, many users are reluctant to trust the company with such a powerful and invasive feature.

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