Sign mentioned at the moment that it’s updating its Home windows app to forestall the system from capturing screenshots, thereby defending the content material that’s on show.
The corporate mentioned that this new “display screen safety” setting is enabled by default on Home windows 11. Sign mentioned that this new characteristic is designed to guard customers’ privateness from Microsoft’s Recall characteristic, which was introduced final 12 months. Recall captures screenshots of the system repeatedly to recollect your entire actions, so you possibly can scroll again in time to recollect what you had been taking a look at.
Whereas the corporate paused the rollout of the characteristic final 12 months after backlash, Microsoft began testing it once more in April via the Home windows Preview Channel. Microsoft has made the characteristic opt-in and has additionally added a approach to pause it anytime. Sign mentioned that regardless of these modifications, the characteristic nonetheless captures content material that could be delicate.
Sign mentioned that if you find yourself making an attempt to take a screenshot with the brand new display screen safety setting enabled, you’ll simply get a clean display screen.
The corporate additionally warned that when the setting is enabled, some features, equivalent to display screen readers, won’t work as meant. You possibly can flip off the setting via Sign Settings > Privateness > Display screen safety.
The app will present you a warning if you find yourself making an attempt to disable this selection, and you’ll have to click on on Affirm to finish the motion. That is to forestall you from by accident turning the characteristic off whereas making an attempt to regulate different settings.
“We hope that the AI groups constructing methods like Recall will suppose via these implications extra fastidiously sooner or later. Apps like Sign shouldn’t should implement a “one bizarre trick” with a purpose to preserve the privateness and integrity of their providers with out correct developer instruments,” Sign mentioned in a weblog put up.
