New “Recall” feature in Windows 11 is a privacy nightmare

Submitted ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Gemini24601@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨aboringdystopia@lemmy.world⁩

https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24159258/microsoft-recall-ai-explorer-windows-11-surface-event

The new “Recall” feature really does look good on paper, but the taking in mind that it catalogues almost everything you do on your computer, it could turn out to be a privacy nightmare. “logging things you do in apps, tracking communications in live meetings, remembering all websites you’ve visited for research, and more,” according to the Verge. What could this mean for future computing? It would certainly make digital forensics a whole lot easier……

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growsomethinggood@reddthat.com ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
In case anyone read the headline and was worried it would pop up on your computer overnight, it does appear to need some hefty and recent processors and between 6-25GBs free in order to run at all, so I don’t think it’ll sneak up on folks any time soon.

On the bad news front, I thought this was standard AI bad until I got to the part where it won’t obscure passwords. But, surprise, it will obscure DRM content (and private browsing, but just if you’re using Microsoft Edge).

Terrible for privacy aware consumers but I really anticipate the worst of this will be in a corporate setting. Plenty of employers already spy on employees but this would be pretty next level.

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- Ottomateeverything@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  where it won’t obscure passwords. But, surprise, it will obscure DRM content
  
  Yeah, we all know where the priorities really are.
  
  How have our consumer protections gone so fucking far.
  
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IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Every time I think Microsoft can’t get any worse they just find a way to innovate.

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Ottomateeverything@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

it includes logging things you do in apps, tracking communications in live meetings, remembering all websites you’ve visited for research, and more.

Yeah, uh, no thank you.

Is Microsoft this out of touch? Or are we doomed?

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DirkMcCallahan@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
We know this what the real purpose of this is, it seems like they’re going to sell it as a necessary tool for people who are too stupid to use a basic search function? Per The Verge:

“Microsoft’s launching Recall for Copilot Plus PCs, a new Windows 11 tool that keeps track of everything you see and do on your computer and, in return, gives you the ability to search and retrieve anything you’ve done on the device.”

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- cerement@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  “the ability to search and retrieve anything you’ve done on the device” combined with “people who save everything to desktop” …
  
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AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
The sad part is that this tool would be very useful if it wasn’t being made and operated by ghouls. If it was fully self hosted and encrypted then this would be amazing.

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cerement@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
🎶 A whole new world! 🎶

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