In a move that has sent shockwaves through the tech community, Signal, a leading provider of secure and end-to-end encrypted communication platforms, has taken a stand against Microsoft's latest feature: Windows Recall. This controversial feature, part of Microsoft's enhanced "Copilot+" PCs, captures screenshots every few seconds, allowing users to search through their activity history.
Initially met with excitement by some, Windows Recall has been met with criticism from many, including PCWorld's Mark Hachman, who now recommends turning the feature off. The developers of Signal appear to agree with Mark, and have implemented a clever DRM hack to block functionality for Windows Recall.
The latest version of the Windows app will simply appear as a blank black window if you try to record its activity with Windows Recall. This is similar to the implementation of DRM in streaming services – you might have tried to take a screenshot of a Netflix show, only to get a blank black screen.
Signal's approach to this issue is based on built-in functionality in Windows and Recall, working as intended. Any developer can flip that DRM switch and keep Recall from recording its activity by default. This move has been welcomed by many, who see it as a necessary step to protect user privacy.
"Apps like Signal have essentially no control over what content Recall is able to capture, and implementing 'DRM' that works for you (not against you) is the best choice that we had," explains Joshua Lund, a developer at Signal. This statement highlights the importance of user control over data collection and usage.
However, this move also raises some concerns. Accessibility tools, such as magnifiers or text-to-speech readers, rely on the same sort of automatic screenshot functionality to help visually impaired users. To mitigate this issue, Signal has included an option to turn off the screen security feature (Settings > Privacy > Screen security). Users will need to click a verification when turning the setting off, but disabling that should allow Windows Recall to record Signal just like any other Windows app.
In a scathing critique of Microsoft's approach, Joshua Lund states: "Take a screenshot every few seconds legitimately sounds like a suggestion from a low-parameter LLM that was given a prompt like 'How do I add an arbitrary AI feature to my operating system as quickly as possible in order to make investors happy?'" This statement suggests that Microsoft may be prioritizing investor satisfaction over user privacy.
"If that ever stops being the case, we'll have to stop supporting those platforms," Lund warns. This statement highlights the importance of companies like Microsoft taking responsibility for ensuring their platforms remain a suitable foundation for privacy-preserving applications like Signal.
Ultimately, this move by Signal is a reminder of the need for greater transparency and user control over data collection and usage. It's up to companies like Microsoft to ensure that their platforms remain a safe and trustworthy environment for users who value their privacy.