Microsoft slows Recall release to test security

Microsoft won't include the controversial Recall feature as part of new Copilot+ PCs that ship next week, the company said late yesterday.

Why it matters: In both Washington and Silicon Valley, Microsoft has faced mounting scrutiny over the feature, which tracks and stores users' screen activity for AI to search. Security and privacy experts warn it could accidentally expose confidential materials, passwords and other sensitive data.

Zoom in: Microsoft is delaying the Recall rollout to test it further with its Windows Insider Program over the "coming weeks," the company said in an updated blog post.

• "This decision is rooted in our commitment to providing a trusted, secure and robust experience for all customers and to seek additional feedback prior to making the feature available to all Copilot+ PC users," the company wrote.

Catch up quick: Microsoft unveiled its initial plans last month to include Recall as a part of some of its highly anticipated AI PCs.

• Recall takes screenshots of users' screens as they use the device and then stores those photos in a searchable database on the PC so users can find their old files, photos, emails or browsing history.
• Following initial concerns, Microsoft made Recall an opt-in feature last week and added new secure login requirements.

Driving the news: Microsoft president Brad Smith promised lawmakers during his congressional testimony earlier yesterday that the company will start to prioritize security over fast product development — and that promise extended to the Recall feature.

• Cybersecurity "is more important even than the company's work on artificial intelligence," Smith said in his opening remarks.

Between the lines: This is the first major test of Microsoft's new cultural shift to make cybersecurity and privacy a top priority on all teams.

• Recall was created before Microsoft started implementing its new Secure Future Initiative within the company, according to The Verge.