Copilot privacy issues?

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

Maybe this is old news and I've just seen it, but there are a few things I've read about privacy issues in copilot - is this just the copilot pc's or is it copilot generally? I only came across this because of something mentioned on another thread (my microsoft recovery download had copilot missing).

"Recall has the ability to search through all users' past activity including files, photos, emails and browsing history......

Many devices can already do this - but Recall also takes screenshots every few seconds and searches these too.

"This could be a privacy nightmare," said Dr Kris Shrishak, an adviser on AI and privacy.

"The mere fact that screenshots will be taken during use of the device could have a chilling effect on people."
"Microsoft says .....For example, users can opt out of capturing certain websites, and private browsing on Microsoft's own Edge browser will not be captured."

But there are masses of nested settings in Windows 11 so options to turn things on and off might not get seen. And so will it screenshot everything you do on a non Microsoft browser?

Microsoft Copilot+ Recall feature 'privacy nightmare'

The ICO wants to know the safeguards around Recall, which can take screengrabs of your screen every few seconds.

www.bbc.co.uk

Privacy Concerns with Onboard AI: Microsoft Copilot | Office of Innovative Technologies

oit.utk.edu

glasskuter · Jul 20, 2025

I disabled co-pilot within Windows and Edge. I rarely use it anyway as what little AI questions I have go thru Chatgpt web app. Co-pilot also has a web app.
I don't know if this makes any difference in what data on my PC is passed to MS or not.

Completely Disable and Remove Copilot in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to completely disable the Windows Copilot preview feature and remove Copilot from the taskbar, Windows Search, and Microsoft Edge for all users in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Copilot in Windows provides centralized generative AI assistance to your users right from...

www.elevenforum.com

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

I've only just found you can now just uninstall it in app settings, rather than just turn it off or remove it as per the tutorial. Just uninstalled it now, on my main laptop. As others mentioned in my other thread, you can just install/uninstall it from the app store now. I have only rarely used it and also prefer chat gpt (which writes good letters!) so now it's optional, I'd rather not have it! I thought it was baked in previously.

I'm assuming this "recall" option only comes with copilot pc's though, not copilot generally.

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

I'm assuming this change is because MS have had to make it optional? After UK Watchdog and ICO looked into it as per article above. Anyway it does indeed seem to be optional now - an app that can be uninstalled just like the "linked in" app that appears in the start menu on a new install.

pseymour · Jul 20, 2025

Be careful not to conflate Copilot, the AI chatbot, with Copilot+ PCs, which is a class of hardware/devices.

Recall isn't part of Copilot, is only available on Copilot+ PCs (at the moment), is removable if installed, and is opt-in if it is installed. It's hardly a privacy nightmare.

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

pseymour said:
Be careful not to conflate Copilot, the AI chatbot, with Copilot+ PCs, which is a class of hardware/devices.

Recall isn't part of Copilot, is only available on Copilot+ PCs (at the moment), is removable if installed, and is opt-in if it is installed. It's hardly a privacy nightmare.

Thank you for clarifying that. So "Co pilot" app is not the same as Copilot+PC then. A bit confusing though

But MS have still now made Copilot the app optional now.

pseymour · Jul 20, 2025

Right. Unfortunately, this is one of those Microsoft marketing team things where they took the neato-cool term Copilot from the GitHub team and started slapping it on other things haphazardly. Now, all of a sudden, everything's a Copilot Something. It's like in the mid-90s and early 2000s when everything had an X on the end of it... ActiveX, DirectX, SandwichX, Timex, Kleenex.... okay maybe just those first two.

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

So will all new laptops and computers be copilot PC's? I'd prefer to just have a computer and choose which programs I install on it or whether to use it offline. I don't like the idea a computer can "do things" when I'm supposed to be in the driving seat!

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

If there's one thing that would stop me using Windows in future, it's a computer with AI baked into it. So I'd best just keep getting old used ones then!

pseymour · Jul 20, 2025

Hard to predict what will happen with hardware. If that's what the OEMs think we want, then it could happen. But for now, no, and this stuff is removable or can be disabled at least.

By the way, here's the current requirements for Recall.

Copilot+ PC that meets the Secured-core Standard
40 TOPs NPU (neural processing unit)
16 GB RAM
8 logical processors
256 GB storage capacity with at least 50 GB free
encrypted drive (Bitlocker or Device Encryption)
Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS)

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

Presumably it would only remain secured if you left encryption turned on?

pseymour · Jul 20, 2025

Then Recall stops recalling.

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

Ok so Copilot PC has recall - it's secure and it only works if encryption is enabled and encrypts everything - is that right? Copilot chat bot doesn't recall anything (and I can prove that! It forgot what it was doing half way through doing something).

pseymour · Jul 20, 2025

That's correct. And actually, I can tell you as a fancy pants IT admin, I can't even see the Recall data of one of my users' laptops. It's just a blob of encrypted goo to anyone but the user who opted into it.

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

I imagine governments and businesses might be a bit more cautious though, even if it's encrypted.

Hazel123 · Jul 20, 2025

Ok maybe I'm being cynical but I can't see Microsoft just doing this for the user's benefit. Presumably, Copilot AL is "learning" from scanning all this information before it's encrypted or at the point of encryption (and presumably AI can read encryption!) - so I was guessing it was some kind of learning module for copilot AI as well.

pseymour · Jul 20, 2025

Data stays local.

Privacy and control over your Recall experience | Microsoft Support

Privacy and control over your Recall experience

support.microsoft.com

I actually would like to see some kind of sync, if I used Recall. On a normal day, I use three to five different machines, between personal and work. Recall, again if I chose to use it, would actually be less useful to me than if I were able to "recall" something I was doing on another device. Maybe Microsoft will allow syncing later; who knows. But for now, Recall is still in preview to this day, so the local functionality isn't even fully baked yet.

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