AdGuard and Brave now block Windows Recall by default
Sometimes innovations bring not only benefits but also threats. This is the case with a new feature from Microsoft that is available for Copilot+ systems. Recall is a feature in Windows 11 that takes screenshots every few seconds and stores them locally so that they can be searched for later by AI commands. Immediately after the announcement, many cybersecurity experts began to criticise this feature due to the extensive possibilities for personal data leakage.
Microsoft claims that the screenshots are stored in a secure storage that cannot be accessed by unauthorised persons, but they are silent as a fish out of water about the fact that Copilot performs its calculations in the cloud, which means that it will transfer all the information to Microsoft servers.
Brave blocks Recall by default
Starting with version 1.81 on Windows 11+, Brave automatically marks all tabs as private, so Recall doesn't take any screenshots. Users can manually allow Recall to access the browser window in the settings. At the same time, Brave does not restrict normal screenshots or accessibility tools.
AdGuard adds Recall blocking
In AdGuard 7.21, the Disable Windows Recall option has been added to the Tracking Protection section. In addition, a privacy alert is displayed when this feature is detected.
Signal Desktop was one of the first to block Recall back in May due to the lack of point control. Signal uses DRM protection to tightly block the ability to take screenshots of the chat window.
Conclusions.
Artificial intelligence poses new threats to privacy, both because of potential leaks of private information and because of the fundamental access of AI to information that it should not have access to. After all, users don't always remember that this function is running all the time, literally at every moment of working with a computer. But unfortunately, we live in a world where people take their own security lightly, and easily sacrifice it for convenience. Most users will be happy if AI reminds them of the password to a bank card they created several years ago, and only think about security when something bad happens.
