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Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash

wired.com

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

#81

Post by russdpale »

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…

no it isnt the same, you may know I went to my health care provider's website, maybe even to make an appointment depending on the url, but with recall, everything that is on the page will be stored, not just the url. It's totally different. So the message I sent my healthcare provider that is discussing some of my most sensitive medical issues will be available to read and a record is kept of it... not just the url. Do you not see the difference?

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

#82

Post by toyg »

ydnaclementine wrote: post #76
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…

Does Recall run entirely locally? I don't think your browser history gets sent out

I expect it does, if you're using Chrome outside of Incognito Mode. Iirc, there is an opt-out about "web history" on the google account - which then disables some other things so that it annoys enough people into keeping it on.

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

#83

Post by dylan604 »

jonny_eh wrote: post #63
malshe wrote: post #7

On LinkedIn someone in my network pointed out that, apart from the security and privacy disaster, the name Recall was a bad choice because of negative events like product recall.

"Total Recall", aka "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"

"Total Recall" in quotes makes me think you're trying to get your ass back to Mars and that you're trying to remember something because you had your memories wiped. It makes me think of nothing about a friendly service being offered forcefully upon you from your friendly and malevolent OS provider.

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

#84

Post by dylan604 »

danielcampos93 wrote: post #36

This seems to be a feature that execs wanted, and people find creepy, and no one has the gumption to push back on the exec request.

How can you have the number of employees they do and not have a single non-sychophant employee?

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

#86

Post by LegitShady »

modeless wrote: post #73

It is puzzling to me that so many people seem to think this concept has no value. To me the concept is obviously good and something I have wanted for a long time. Of course the security of the implementation is important and I agree with some of the criticism there. But I see a lot of people arguing that the feature is worthless, or that it doesn't make sense at the OS level, or that Microsoft specifically should not…

the concept is valuable but so ripe for abuse that even it existing at all is a threat to everyone's privacy.

I have been a windows user basically my whole life. 3 years ago I got an ipad pro (2018, 12.9") for drawing and I hate the operating system. 7 months ago I got a steam deck and its fine for games but doing anything in the OS is confusing and annoying.

Microsoft announced recall and suddenly I'm using a spare computer to test linux distros, and I suck at everything to do with linux and I'm doing it anyways.

It's too dangerous, to much an invasion of privacy, and too easily enabled completely outside of my control.

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

#87

Post by Tool_of_Society »

Analemma_ wrote: post #68
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…

Yeah, I think this entire debate is uninformed hysteria and manufactured outrage. "If an attacker has administrator access, they can see everything you have done on your computer!". OK? That has literally always been the case? "Attacker is root" is game over and always has been. The original writeup from DoublePulsar tried to justify that Recall is somehow different from other such scenarios, but I found it totally u…

Browser history doesn't show my passwords, everything I typed out and did on the machine.

In comparison browser history is nothing.

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

#89

Post by russdpale »

mschuster91 wrote: post #79
modeless wrote: post #73

It is puzzling to me that so many people seem to think this concept has no value. To me the concept is obviously good and something I have wanted for a long time. Of course the security of the implementation is important and I agree with some of the criticism there. But I see a lot of people arguing that the feature is worthless, or that it doesn't make sense at the OS level, or that Microsoft specifically should not…

The concept itself has value, but the ethical and legal concerns are severe, not to mention the issue of Recall also capturing sensitive stuff like passwords. Microsoft, Google, Apple - everyone is scared shitless of some AI startup kicking their nutsacks, and is launching products that should have gone through extensive ethics discussions beforehand in a matter of weeks.

passwords are the last of it, think about women inquiring about abortions in states where they aren't legal. Or people trying to get away from an abusive partner, on and on it goes.
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