Microsoft Recall screenshots everything — OS-level data retention without consent
Date: 2024-05
Affected: Microsoft Windows — Copilot+ PCs, all user activity
Attack vector: malware
Category: real-world
Severity: Critical

Microsoft announced Recall, a Windows feature that continuously screenshots user activity every 5 seconds and stores OCR-indexed data locally. Security researchers demonstrated the data was stored in plaintext SQLite, accessible to any malware. After massive backlash from privacy advocates, security researchers, and regulators (UK ICO investigation), Microsoft delayed launch, added encryption, and made it opt-in.

Impact: Feature delayed 6 months; mandatory redesign with encryption and opt-in; UK ICO investigation; congressional scrutiny; fundamental trust damage

Mitigations:
Data minimisation — collect only what is necessary for the stated purpose
Encryption at rest for all AI-generated data stores
Explicit opt-in consent with granular controls (not opt-out)
Threat model AI features for local data exfiltration scenarios

Architectural layers (MAESTRO):
label: Data Operations
notes: Continuous screenshot capture creates massive sensitive data store without data minimisation
role: origin
label: Deployment & Infrastructure
notes: Plaintext SQLite storage accessible to any process with user-level access
role: propagation
label: Security & Compliance
notes: No GDPR/consent mechanism; no threat model for local data exfiltration by malware
role: blind-spot