Microsoft Copilot+ Recall feature ‘privacy nightmare’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwwqp6nx14o
Posted by wkavinsky
Microsoft Copilot+ Recall feature ‘privacy nightmare’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwwqp6nx14o
Posted by wkavinsky
7 Comments
Maybe, just maybe, the ICO will be useful for once and stop this dystopian nightmare.
I’ve lost count of the number of “locally stored” IT things that have ended up in the cloud after a change in service terms – and something like this is the governments wet dream for surveillance.
If it’s optional, stored locally and encrypted, and you can select what applications use it then I don’t see a problem. It could prove quite useful.
The danger then is someone gains full access to your computer, with security unlocked, and sees what you’ve done but that risk is kind of already there anyway.
The main issue will be IT companies’ security policies. You’re in charge of your data but if you remote into a work computer it would in theory be taking screenshots of what could be private data. They would need to trust you to turn it off.
Your medical data has been sold
Your ISP is tracking you
Agencies have free access to data from large companies
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM
SIM card encryption keys stolen
Employees selling your data from foreign call centres
CCTV can be accessed by many companies you use
People track their kids, spouses
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON
The “Privacy nightmare” was about ten years ago, very few things online have been private since then. Might as well chuck another log on the fire at this point if it makes life easier.
As with practically every other *exciting* new Window 11 feature, I’ll disable it in some way.
Back when I noticed copilot was being pushed onto everyone’s desktops without their knowledge or any explicit consent process, I commented on it and was shouted down because “you can turn it off”, when the formal switch off only removes it from your desktop, not uninstall or remove it. Now it can take screenshots every few seconds it’s even worse. It’s direct monitoring of people’s personal computers which I think should be something the ICO should ban without explicit consent and a clear and easy to use path to remove it, not deactivate or hide it, remove it.
Naturally it will be part of the operating system and impossible to disable or remove.
A privacy nightmare for individuals and a wet dream for employers who issue laptops for people who work from home.