I think Microsoft’s planned recall feature where they screenshot everything you do so that it can be analysed by AI isn’t as bad as everyone makes it sound. It’s only bad because Windows is closed source and nobody can verify if what they say is true.

But if Microsoft aren’t lying and none of the data ever leaves your PC (which is supported by the fact that you need a pretty beefy machine to use it) then it is one of the more privacy friendly shit they’ve done recently. And I think they were fully aware that they could only sell “thing that records everything you do” if they could convince people that it doesn’t share that data. Guess they failed.

If it were open source I might even think about using it myself. If the hardware and subsequently power requirements weren’t so absurdly high.

  • jet@hackertalks.com
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    5 months ago

    The big thing here is consent. If you run it yourself, i.e. opt into it. Then it’s consensual.

    Microsoft has demonstrated over a long period of time they are happy to force “optional” anti consumer things into people through

    • Bad defaults
    • Silent updates changing settings
    • Nag screens
    • More nag screens that pop up randomly hoping you misclick
    • Deceitful UI (Yes! Ask me later!)