Brave and AdGuard now block Microsoft Recall by default

Brave web browser and AdGuard have announced that they will block Microsoft Recall by default due to privacy concerns. Microsoft Recall is an AI-powered tool that accompanies Windows 11 and records everything on a PC's screen. AdGuard finds the idea of background screen captures unsettling, as it could capture private information such as chat windows, online forms, and personal data. Brave also cites privacy concerns, suggesting that a user's entire browsing history could be captured by the tool. Both companies are concerned that the captured data could end up in a persistent database, ripe for abuse in highly privacy-sensitive cases. Signal, a chat app, made a similar move in May, urging AI teams to think through the implications more carefully. Despite the privacy concerns, Microsoft Recall is a productivity tool that allows users to jump to previously viewed content, including web pages, images, and documents. AdGuard and Brave offer toggles to re-enable Recall for users who want to use the feature. Microsoft Recall is available on some Copilot+ PCs. Overall, the move by Brave and AdGuard is a precautionary measure to protect user privacy.