A Pair of Apps Let Users Block Microsoft Recall Amid Privacy Concerns
A growing number of privacy-focused apps are blocking Microsoft Recall, a new feature of some Windows 11 PCs that takes screenshots of activity to let users trace their steps to find information they viewed earlier.
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Ad blocker AdGuard and the web browser Brave this week announced ways to block Recall, joining messaging app Signal earlier this year. Microsoft announced Recall in 2024 but delayed its release to rework it in response to privacy and security advocates' concerns.
AdGuard on Friday announced an option to disable Windows Recall in a blog post. “The very idea of background screen captures is unsettling,” the app developer said. “At any given moment, the system could snap a screenshot of a private chat window, an online form where you’re entering your credit card, or simply something personal you didn’t want saved.”
AdGuard noted that Microsoft claims Recall protects privacy because it’s “off by default, requires Windows Hello authentication and then a PIN on every login, and can supposedly filter out sensitive data like ID numbers,” with screenshots stored locally and encrypted. “Still, that doesn’t quite cut it for us at AdGuard" because “PINs are easy to crack, and filters may fail to detect sensitive content."
Meanwhile, Brave will block Recall from taking screenshots of open browser tabs by default, it said Tuesday. Brave users may flip a toggle to allow Recall, however.
“Microsoft has, to their credit, made several security and privacy-positive changes to Recall in response to concerns,” blogged Brave. “Still, the feature is in preview, and Microsoft plans to roll it out more widely soon. What exactly the feature will look like when it’s fully released to all Windows 11 users is still up in the air, but the initial tone-deaf announcement does not inspire confidence.”
A Microsoft spokesperson defended the feature in a statement emailed to Privacy Daily, referring us to a webpage on how Recall protects privacy. "Windows is an open platform that prioritizes security, privacy, user choice and developer flexibility. User control is foundational to the design of Recall. The feature includes robust controls that allow users to filter specific apps, giving them control over what content is captured."