It turns out that Windows 11 users will finally be unable to uninstall Microsoft’s controversial “recall” feature.
Recall, a feature launched by Copilot+ in May, essentially continuously takes screenshots of your actions while using the operating system, ostensibly to make it easy for users to find previous work.
A report from Deskmodder appears to reveal that the recent Windows 11 update 24H2 allows users to completely uninstall the feature. But now, Microsoft has clarified in a statement to The Verge that the uninstall option was just a bug.
Brandon LeBlanc, senior product manager for Windows, told the media: “We are aware of an issue where the options under the ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ dialog box in the ‘Control Panel’ are incorrectly listed.” “This will be included in an upcoming update “
When Microsoft announced Recall, the intention was to make it a feature of Windows 11. The feature tracks all the actions you take on a compatible Windows PC and uses a generative AI model on the device to retrieve the specific information the user is looking for through an archive of screenshots stored on the device. Critics of the feature were quick to point out that it is highly susceptible to cybersecurity flaws because it indiscriminately saves sensitive information such as passwords, confidential work, and personal information.
Mix and match speed of light
Former Microsoft security expert Kevin Beaumont described it as a cybersecurity “disaster.”
“It now only takes two lines of code to steal everything you type or view on your Windows PC,” Beaumont said.
Microsoft’s new AI “Recall” feature is like pressing “CTRL + H” throughout your digital life
Public backlash against the new feature led Microsoft to issue a new statement days after its May announcement, saying the recall feature would be opt-in and therefore turned off by default.
It has also been investigated by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for violating user privacy. But after all the protests and potential legal ramifications,
Recall was originally slated for a June release, but was delayed as Microsoft was busy fixing security issues. Now, it will be rolled out to Windows Insider testers in October.
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