Microsoft delays Recall due to privacy and security concerns

What happened

On 14 June 2024 Microsoft announced it was delaying the general release of Recall, a Copilot+ PC feature that periodically records the user's on-screen activity to make it searchable afterwards.

After criticism from security researchers and data protection bodies over the privacy risks of storing continuous captures of user activity, the company decided to limit the feature initially to Windows Insider users ahead of a wider rollout.

What it means for a mid-sized business

The Recall case shows that an AI feature can look useful by design and still create serious risks if it isn't thought through from the start: what data it captures, where it's stored and who can access it.

For a business evaluating new AI features built into the operating system or productivity applications, it's worth understanding precisely what information is logged and for how long, especially if employee screens display customer data, passwords or confidential information.

What to review

Before enabling AI features that record user activity:

• Exactly what data the feature captures and how often.
• Where that data is stored and whether logging can be disabled.
• What access controls apply to the stored information.
• Whether the feature is compatible with internal data protection policies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does Recall do?

It periodically captures the user's on-screen activity so that something seen or done on the device can be searched for later.

Why was its launch delayed?

Because of criticism from security researchers and data protection bodies over the privacy risks of storing that activity.

Should a business just enable this kind of feature?

Not without first reviewing what data it captures, where it's stored, and whether it's compatible with its data protection policies.