AdGuard joins the Windows Recall backlash party — "Leaving backdoors wide open and hoping Microsoft will always act in good faith isn’t a solid privacy strategy"

The Brave browser logo appears on the screen of a smartphone.
AdGuard for Windows now includes a new "Disable Windows Recall" feature designed to prevent the controversial tool from capturing snapshots of users' activity on a Copilot+ PC. (Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)

Windows Recall is arguably Microsoft's most controversial feature, deemed by experts as a PR disaster and security nightmare. Last year, the company announced a handful of next-gen AI features as part of the 24H2 release, including Windows Recall, Live Captions, and more.

However, the company faced backlash for shipping the feature without having elaborate security measures to protect the users' privacy from sophisticated attacks deployed by bad actors.

AdGuard joins the Windows Recall hate train

(Image credit: Windows Central)

AdGuard is arguably the most advanced ad blocker, designed to protect user privacy. The platform recently shipped a new update to protect its users against user tracking (via XDA Developers). The latest update for AdGuard for Windows ships with a new feature called Disable Windows Recall.

According to AdGuard:

"Right now, it’s only relevant for those using the latest Microsoft Copilot+ PCs — but it’s worth learning about even if you don’t own one yet. These machines will likely become mainstream sooner than we think."

While Microsoft has added a host of new security measures to make Windows Recall privacy-friendly, AdGuard says "that doesn’t quite cut it."

PINs are easy to crack, and filters may fail to detect sensitive content. Leaving backdoors wide open and hoping everything works as intended — or that Microsoft will always act in good faith — just isn’t a solid privacy strategy.

AdGuard

As such, the platform is adding a new feature to its settings section dedicated to blocking Windows tracking. Users with Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs can navigate through Tracking ProtectionDisable Windows Recall to disable the feature from from taking snapshots of everything you do on your PC.

Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.

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