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Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

wired.com

451–460 of 572 posts

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

#451
What's funny about this and other "recalls" (pun intended) of "products" from so-called "tech" companies as a result of "feedback", or "backlash" as Wired calls it, is that the companies never asked for such input and AFAIK no one is contacting the companies to give it. AFAICT it is obtained through surveillance. To people born after the internet this might seem normal, but to me it is quite odd. The companies claim to be operating in service of "users" but there is generally no direct contact between these "users" and the company.^1 With some isolated exceptions that have increased over time, there is no customer service. And in most cases the "customer" has not paid the company for the so-called "product". Generally, no one is asking a refund on their purchase of Windows because generally no one pays Microsoft for it. Instead people just complain into the ether.

No need to pay for being the target of surveillance. The "products" are free.

1. Unless we count the telemetry and "auto-updates". Users never asked for this stuff though, it is not initiated by them. This "product" is broken on delivery hence the alleged need to keep "fixing" it by remotely installing more software, presumably that isn't broken and will not used for surveillance, on peoples' computers. All for free. There is no money to refund if the "product" does not work as expected.

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

#452

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe security oversight happens later in the process. No need to bother with that if the feature doesn't even work.

If so, that's a problem. It might explain why this happened, but that doesn't mean it's an acceptable practice, especially after recently claiming that security is a primary focus for all project teams. Security requirements often completely change the architecture of a product. Things can be built without security that are significantly more challenging to accomplish when strict data security requirements are in pla…

It doesn't sound like they're going to have significant problems adding more security to this product. For advanced as it sounds, it's not that complicated of a technology. It's just plugging together a bunch of existing technologies. I could probably MVP this app in a week myself given what is available.

I think that exploratory development is, in general, a good thing. Bogging down all development with middle-management procedures might certainly have caught this early. But that doesn't necessarily make that a better way to build products.

The scary thing about Recall isn't actually Recall itself. It's that AI makes this kind of product possible and really easy. I'm sure we're going to see implementations of this idea everywhere and not just on PCs. Imagine AIs watching security cameras.

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

#453
post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm glad that it's shining a light on the reality of Windows 11 as a subscription and data collecting vehicle. If you still hate Windows least, that's almost certainly because it's what you know best. I work with Windows, Linux, and OSX on a daily basis and Windows is easily the most user-hostile of the three. Edit: All you know -> What you know best

I've used them all, Mac OS most begrudgingly as needed for cross platform building and testing/support, Linux is alright (and obviously more powerful than Windows) but... just because I have programmer-level troubleshooting skills and computer knowledge, doesn't mean I want / have the energy to use the full force of that all the time for every random thing that could be solved with a simple dialog box and/or sane def…

Apple really likes to limit hardware interoperability because hardware is where they make their $, but there's a lot more overlap in software compatibility between OSX and Linux than Windows and anything else. Just having the familiar terminal environment alone is worth a lot to me.

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

#454
post #379
post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is truly insidious, but FWIW, you don't need to abandon Windows entirely because of this. There are ways of creating a custom Windows installation disk that removes OneDrive, along with other bloatware, spyware, and pretty much anything else you don't like. Look into tools such as Tiny11 Builder, MSMG Toolkit, NTLite, etc. This is a decent guide[1] for setting all of this up. The process is quite tedious and tak…

Maybe this tool is a bit more comprehensive. After configuring a stripped down image, Windows can be installed in what is almost like a headless mode in literally 5 minutes with no user intervention: https://www.ntlite.com/

Yes, NTLite is good, but AFAIR, it doesn't allow deep customization of some things. The guide I linked to mentions it as the last step.

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

#455

What's funny about this and other "recalls" (pun intended) of "products" from so-called "tech" companies as a result of "feedback", or "backlash" as Wired calls it, is that the companies never asked for such input and AFAIK no one is contacting the companies to give it. AFAICT it is obtained through surveillance. To people born after the internet this might seem normal, but to me it is quite odd. The companies claim…

In this context, “feedback” means reputation compromising news cycles.

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

#456
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> that little thought has gone into privacy or security. I think the thought is proportional to the amount of thought a non-tech customer will put into it. Nobody seems to care about or understands privacy these days. Everyone knows they're being tracked everywhere they go physically and on the web. People use their real names, address, etc for every junk service they sign up for, without seeing any reason not to. If…

Do you listen to music only with earbuds? Do you cover your face when going outside? Do you transform your voice for each person you’re talking to? Are you buying only with cash that you handled with gloves? Privacy is not a binary concept. There are actions and information that some people are ok being public, and there are some they prefer to remain private. What is not OK is spying and exploitation. I should know…

> Most people expect reasonable privacy policies from companies and they believe that there’s some regulation in place.

Absolutely, but if you ask/inform these people they will say "Well, guess I have nothing to hide." because they can't comprehend going without all their devices/services.

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

#457
post #450

Why have it all then? Truth is they will have it off at first then an update will only do the windows folder and slowly creep from there. Another update will “accidentally “ turn it on then more options will be available and more will be defaulted on. There will not be a single option but multiple toggles at some point.

[deleted]

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

#458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your browsing history is unlikely to contain personal information, secrets, porn images etc. And if you use Chrome, they get your full browsing history by default. I get your point, but Microsoft's Recall can capture anything onscreen - emails, personal info, porn, passwords and the like. And it feels, bizarrely for 2024, that little thought has gone into privacy or security.

> And it feels, bizarrely for 2024, that little thought has gone into privacy or security. No, no. They thought about the privacy and security aspect. They decided that it's better for their bottom line if Windows users don't have privacy from the mother ship. Really, they already decided that way back when Windows Vista first came out and periodically asked Microsoft HQ if you should continue being allowed to use yo…

I can see malware secretly enabling Recall and hopping on it as a really good keylogger which they don’t need to code themselves.

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

#459
post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think they actually did consider that - that's why they emphasized it was all on device. They thought about it, they just didn't think about how little we would trust that promise.

I'm perplexed that anybody thinks Microsoft were being dumb. They know exactly what they are doing and putting the pieces in place to violate users' security is the point. Theyre just boiling the frog slowly. It'll be turned on by default soon enough and then theyll start looking for excuses to upload it. This can be used to make them a shedload of money one day.

Totally. They just thought nobody would give a fuck. Except, people did. And now Adobe is getting it too.

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

#460
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> that little thought has gone into privacy or security. I think the thought is proportional to the amount of thought a non-tech customer will put into it. Nobody seems to care about or understands privacy these days. Everyone knows they're being tracked everywhere they go physically and on the web. People use their real names, address, etc for every junk service they sign up for, without seeing any reason not to. If…

It's how it's always been, always. Many here may be too young to remember when many consumer products came with a "product registration" card. This was basically a postcard that asked for all sorts of information, such as your name, address, phone number, birthdate, sex, SSN, marital status, annual income, interests, other products owned, whether you own or rent your home, etc. People willingly filled these out and s…

I can't recall a time where I or anyone I knew filled those out and sent them in. I realize this is anecdotal but it a lot easier to not mail in a form than to try to find the opt-out option in some computer OS.
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