Microsoft AI screenshots everything you do on your computer — and privacy experts are concerned
What is the primary function of Microsoft's new AI program, Recall, as described in the news article?
The primary function of Microsoft's new AI program, Recall, is to record everything a user does on their PC, including activities in apps, communications in live meetings, and websites visited for research. It allows users to search and retrieve their past activities on their PC, providing context for the event or moment they are searching for.
How often does the Recall AI program take screenshots of a user's activity, and what is the purpose of these screenshots?
The Recall AI program takes screenshots of a user's activity every few seconds. The purpose of these screenshots is to create a photographic memory of everything the user does on their computer, allowing them to search and retrieve past activities, including activities in apps, communications in live meetings, and websites visited for research. The screenshots are encrypted and stored locally on the user's PC's hard drive, and can be accessed using search or a timeline bar that allows users to scroll through their snapshots3.
What options does Microsoft provide to users to control the operation of Recall, including managing privacy settings?
Microsoft provides several options for users to control the operation of Recall and manage their privacy settings. Here are some key features that give users control over Recall:
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Setup and Configuration: During the setup of a new Copilot+ PC, users are informed about Recall and given the option to manage their Recall and snapshot preferences2. Users can customize their experience by stopping saving snapshots, adding filters, or further customizing their settings before using Windows 11.
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Pause or Resume Snapshots: Users can pause or resume the snapshot process at any time. By clicking on the Recall icon in the Taskbar and selecting "Pause until tomorrow," snapshots will be paused until they automatically resume at 12:00 AM. When snapshots are paused, the Recall system tray icon will have a slash through it, indicating the status.
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Manage Storage Space: Users can configure how much disk space Recall is allowed to use for storing snapshots. The amount of disk space available for Recall varies depending on the storage capacity of the PC. Users can change the storage space limit by choosing from the drop-down list in the Recall & snapshots settings page. When the limit is reached, the oldest snapshots are deleted first.
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Delete Snapshots: Users can delete snapshots from the Recall & snapshots settings page2. They can choose to delete all snapshots or only those within a specific timeframe.
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Exclude Apps and Websites: Users can select which apps and websites they want to exclude from being captured in Recall snapshots. This can be done by going to the Recall & snapshots settings page and adding the desired apps and websites to the filter list.
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Private Browsing: Recall automatically stops capturing snapshots when users enter private browsing mode in a browser1. This feature is supported in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.
In summary, Microsoft provides users with various control options and privacy settings to manage the operation of Recall, allowing them to customize their experience based on their preferences and privacy concerns12.