Brave and AdGuard Block Microsoft Recall Over Privacy Concerns
Well, this is interesting! Both Brave browser and AdGuard, the popular ad-blocking software, are now blocking Microsoft's Recall feature by default. If you haven't heard of it, Recall is part of Windows 11, and it essentially records everything you do on your computer screen. Yes, you read that right.
It's not hard to see why privacy-focused companies like Brave and AdGuard are raising red flags. AdGuard put it bluntly, stating their decision was due to "privacy concerns" and that the whole idea of constant screen captures is "unsettling." I can't say I disagree.
Think about it. This tool could potentially grab screenshots of your private chats, your credit card details as you're entering them online, or just some personal stuff you wouldn't want saved. It's like having someone constantly looking over your shoulder, taking notes on everything you do. I mean, who wants that?
Brave echoed these worries, pointing out that your entire browsing history could be captured. They emphasized that your activity on Brave shouldn't end up in a database that's easily misused, especially in situations where privacy is paramount. I think this is a valid concern.
Even Signal, the encrypted messaging app, voiced similar concerns a while back. So, Brave even mentioned that they were partly inspired by Signal's stance.
While both AdGuard and Brave offer options to re-enable Recall, the fact that they're blocking it by default speaks volumes. Microsoft's Recall is designed to let you quickly jump back to anything you've previously viewed on your screen – web pages, images, documents, you name it. It sounds like a great productivity booster, I have to admit, in theory.
However, the privacy implications are hard to ignore. I understand that Microsoft is trying to innovate and offer useful features, but they need to ensure user privacy isn't compromised in the process.
Source: Engadget