Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature, designed to take automatic screenshots for easy information retrieval, has been criticised for compromising security by allowing hackers to access sensitive data, though it is opt-in in Windows 11. Picture: JASON REDMOND / AFP
Image: JASON REDMOND / AFP
It’s emerged that Microsoft's AI-powered feature called Windows Recall has made the operating system less secure or ‘hackable’ than ever.
Windows Recall, in layman’s terms, takes snapshots of a user’s screen every few seconds, which are stored locally every few seconds.
In theory, this sounds great if you need to retrieve a piece of information on your screen that you can no longer find or access; however, it also means users did not have control of what was being captured.
That meant any sensitive information could be saved, like passwords, banking details, or whatever it is people have on their screen when they are certain no one is looking.
Windows Recall was controlled by AI, which made it extremely easy for tech-savvy hackers to find their way into otherwise secure accounts.
In fact, reports have even shown that basic malware that didn’t even have administrator privileges could access the Windows Recall data.
Fortunately, in Windows 11, the recall feature is not on by default, and users have to opt in to activate it.
That’s at least some scant consolation for a feature that probably should never have existed in the first place.
That first place was way back in May 2024 when Windows Recall was first announced by Microsoft. It was billed as being designed to fit in seamlessly with Copilot+ PCs. Copilot is what Microsoft calls its AI assistant.
It first became widely available to the public in April last year. Even at the first announcement, though, experts had security concerns, which were largely ignored by the tech giant.