Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature delayed again

FILE PHOTO: Microsoft has pushed back the release of their upcoming controversial Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs. 
| Photo Credit: AP

Microsoft has pushed back the release of their upcoming controversial Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs. The feature was supposed to be in testing for Microsoft Insiders last month but has been delayed again as Microsoft has said it likely won’t be ready until the next couple of months. 

A senior product manager with the company, Brandon LeBlanc told The Verge that the feature will be released by December to Windows Insiders program members. LeBlanc explained that they were taking more time to refine it so the user experience was more secure. 

Recall was first announced in May but Microsoft was held back from releasing it during the Copilot Plus PCs event in June after security experts and insiders raised concerns. After a few weeks, the launch was pushed again to October. 

Microsoft Recall was using AI to screenshot almost everything viewed or done on a computer and then make it searchable for the user later. 

After the initial feedback, Microsoft made Recall an opt-in feature and even allowed users to fully uninstall it. The feature had started as a default instead. Critics were also worried about how easily accessible Recall’s database could be in case someone hacked into the system. 

Microsoft has been reportedly focused on encrypting the database and ensuring the only way to access it was through Windows Hello. It has also made some other security additions like including anti-hammering and rate limiting measures to protect user data.