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Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

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Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#241

Post by pixelpoet »

fleshmonad wrote: post #228
pixelpoet wrote: post #213

What makes my blood boil is that they are just going to keep pulling shit like this which they KNOW everyone (with zero exceptions) intensely HATES, and it's up to everyone to push back ferociously (very high threshold) every damn time. It's up there with "not now" instead of "get rekt and never ask me again" choices in terms of user-antagonism. I'm aware that other OSes exist, but I happen to hate Windows least on t…

>I'm aware that other OSes exist, but I happen to hate Windows least on the whole :/ Would you like to share what you like about windows that you don't have on other operating systems, or what puts you off about other OSes? Not trying to be passive aggressive, just curious

Sure; originally it was about having the best graphics and OpenCL drivers for my development needs, and that I've been an MSVC user since version 5. My hate for Windows pales in comparison to things like CMake / the overarching philosophy that every bit of software needs its own configuration language and cmdline arg convention, things like that.

Around the time of Windows 7 for example, to me there was just no contest whatsoever in terms of ease of use, no shaming / cargo culting (Apple can piss right off telling me that my scroll direction is "unnatural" and pushing me to use Apple-everything, users putting stickers on their cars etc), ... Windows is just the default for people coming from a gamedev and graphics background from the 90s, for better or worse. I'm painfully aware of its shortcomings, and I don't want to champion Windows, it's just what made me hate my life least on average :)

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#242

Post by [deleted] »

haswell wrote: post #198
SavageBeast wrote: post #126

In all the MS Recall drama, I've yet to hear or read one single person utter something to the effect of "Wow - great!!! - I've been waiting for something like this for years! This will solve at least one of the major issues I face regularly!". In fact, it seems to me the only people that really want this feature are the ones trying to push it down everyones collective throat. Why is MS pushing something so hard when…

If I knew that the data could be absolutely kept safe and private to me, I’d love a feature like this. Keeping track of my work over time would be so much easier. The natural next step is to have a local model trained on everything I’ve ever done, and for all of my computing tasks to be contextual to that history. I could see this transforming how we use computers. But I wouldn’t go anywhere near Recall. I suspect Mi…

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#243

Post by [deleted] »

byteknight wrote: post #117
herf wrote: post #58

It's interesting to compare this to the Chrome/Safari/Edge browsing history, which is stored in an unencrypted SQLite database, and tracks what you do for the last 90 days. It's just a bit less visual, Incognito/Private modes work, and some users clear it more often. But a whole lot of the surveillance attacks people imagine about Recall apply just the same to the browser. I think it's the "little brother" casual att…

This is a horrible comparison. Browsing history doesnt show the contents of the page. It doesnt show you what you were doing on that page. It doesn't reveal anything other than you went there and maybe how long.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#244

Post by wishfish »

AlexandrB wrote: post #65

All I can say is LOL. Off by default for Windows 11 24H2, on by default in Windows 11 25H2, impossible to disable in Windows 11 26H2 (except in enterprise versions of course). Microsoft's history with respecting the user's wishes speaks for itself.

I'm a little more optimistic. Cortana was mandatory at first. Not easy for the average user to disable. Then Cortana was optional. Easy to turn off and uninstall. Then Cortana was just gone. Floated off to the big orbital in the sky.

If Recall continues to inspire grumbling and receives very little praise, I could see it unceremoniously removed in a Windows 12 26H2 Feature Update.

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#245

Post by [deleted] »

workfromspace wrote: post #138

It's sad that Microsoft (or any big company) wouldn't take a step back from such privacy intrusive or anti-user behavior unless there's a public backlash. Can't we just have a peaceful life without wasting time on constantly following and analyzing every single move from these companies?

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#246

Post by surfingdino »

INGSOCIALITE wrote: post #237
surfingdino wrote: post #209

Only to be enabled by default by the IT department of your mistrusting employer. Microsoft better remove Recall altogether if they want to avoid costly lawsuits.

where they can then verify, minute-by-minute that their remote employees are grinding away for every minute they are paid for. i'm convinced MS has two profit models here: 1) NSA/CIA/FBI/ETC 2) employer monitoring of remote workers.

3) schools, and 4) parents.

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#247

Post by [deleted] »

k8svet wrote: post #234

They should've left it disabled, and then "accidentally" enabled it, or nagged people into enabling it. I think it would've boiled the frog slower and been more successful. Alternative cynical take: they needed to have a compelling story for press/launching the laptops they've been working with software/hardware partners on for years. They got to announce "Copilot+ PCs with Total^H^H^H^H^H Recall"! And now they get t…

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#248

Post by SoftTalker »

surfingdino wrote: post #209

Only to be enabled by default by the IT department of your mistrusting employer. Microsoft better remove Recall altogether if they want to avoid costly lawsuits.

Employer IT departments already have access to and can install any number of tracking and screen-watching products to monitor their employess on work-issued computers. It's perfectly legal though in my view pretty scummy behavior.

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#249

Post by sgent »

fh9302 wrote: post #154
Analemma_ wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re missing the point. An attacker can only see the passwords in your Recall database if they have root, but if they have root there are (and always have been) a thousand other ways they can get your passwords. There is no new attack vector being introduced by Recall.

It is possible to access to Recall database without admin access. https://x.com/GossiTheDog/status/1798832390070276500

RTA, Microsoft announced changes to the security model to prevent that.

Re: Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

#250

Post by EGreg »

ls612 wrote: post #80
EGreg wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Browsing history doesn't contain what's displayed on the page, and what you input into the input boxes, or POST requests. It's sorta like telephone metadata. On the other hand, I am always freaked out by Chrome extensions that "can read and change your data on all websites ". Can't they have more granular permissions? You gotta have a lot of trust for those extensions LMAO. They can read your bank passwords, probably…

To be fair for me the extensions that get that are uBO, Privacy Badger, and Tampermonkey. I trust gorhill and the EFF to not fuck me over on my data, and Tampermonkey kinda needs those sorts of permissions to work. My password manager has read access to every website but I'm already trusting it with all of my passwords so...

Seems like a very juicy target.

These extensions should not store any data without a master password that you input every time.

What if someone stole the signing key, and submitted an update to Chrome store, even for a little? Oh wait that is only for Chrome Apps. For extensions, they can literally update themselves anytime. Someone would just have to steal the certificate.

If an extension that reads all data uses a CDN (like CloudFlare) that CDN can execute a MITM attack against it and download new code, that would he catastrophic even if it was caught 1 day later.

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