Skip to main content PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES Search PC Gamer View Profile Movies & TV Gaming Industry PC Gaming Show Newsletter Signup Community Guidelines Affiliate Links Meet the team About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine Subscription Why subscribe? Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99Subscribe now Essential Hardware Battlefield 6 PC Gamer quizzes! Recommended reading Windows Recall gets an export feature to let non-Microsoft websites and apps use your Copilot PC's snapshots Microsoft's upcoming OneDrive update bypasses security protocols between business and personal files Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant can now optionally see your entire desktop—maybe it will be able to finally explain what Windows error code 0x8007002c means Gaming Industry 'AI is no longer optional': Microsoft is allegedly pressuring employees to use AI tools through manager evaluations Operating Systems Microsoft claims 'Windows 11 24H2 is our most reliable version of Windows yet', which would be a welcome change Gaming Industry Fooled by a false story about Steam account hacks? Have I Been Pwned 2.0 will now shower you with confetti when you have not, in fact, been pwned Gaming Industry Facebook users say they've caught the app analyzing their camera roll with Meta AI⁠ without their knowledge—here's how to make sure it doesn't happen Gaming Industry New report alleges Microsoft Recall is still screenshotting credit card numbers and passwords Stevie Bonifield 2 August 2025 Recall's security issues might not have been completely eliminated. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Microsoft) Microsoft Recall's security woes have come back to the fore after a test caught the AI screenshotting tool capturing sensitive data (again). Ahead of its public beta release in April, Microsoft made a slew of security updates to Recall, including adding a filter that's supposed to block Recall from recording passwords, credit card info, social security numbers, and similar sensitive data. It looks like more fine-tuning is still needed. The Register's Avram Piltch conducted an in-depth security test on Recall that revealed the AI doesn't always filter out sensitive data. The filter was usually successful when keywords like "password" or "pay" were on screen, but whenever they weren't, Recall often misfired and took a screenshot. For instance, it screenshotted a text document with a list of usernames and passwords that weren't labeled. It makes sense that Microsoft's AI might rely on searching for visual hints like the word "password" to recognize when sensitive info is on screen. However, that's clearly a hit-or-miss strategy. If those keywords aren't displayed the way the AI expects or they're completely missing, there's a decent chance the filter won't work. That means you really never know if Recall is going to correctly filter out your sensitive data or not. Related Articles Windows Recall gets an export feature to let non-Microsoft websites and apps use your Copilot PC's snapshots Microsoft's upcoming OneDrive update bypasses security protocols between business and personal files Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant can now optionally see your entire desktop—maybe it will be able to finally explain what Windows error code 0x8007002c means As Piltch pointed out, "There are so many ways that people store and refer to personal data that it's impossible to imagine Recall or any software catching them all." Passwords and credit card numbers aren't the only sensitive info at risk with Recall, either. Piltch's test also caught the AI screenshotting a bank account page that showed balance and transaction info. Even without the corresponding account login info, that data could still be useful to a hacker. That brings up the next issue Piltch's test unearthed: it's possible to remotely access Recall screenshots. You can only activate Recall after setting up Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-On, which is supposed to require a fingerprint or facial ID. Piltch was also able to sign into Windows Hello with just a PIN, though, then use that PIN to remotely access all of the Recall screenshots on his Copilot+ PC. For those who have been following along with the Recall rollercoaster, none of this will come as a surprise. The feature has faced wave after wave of criticism for the security and privacy issues it raises and no amount of security updates seem to be able to fix that. Despite still being a WIP "preview feature," Copilot is clearly a major initiative from the AI-obsessed Microsoft, and as Piltch points out, Recall is already being advertised during the setup process in Windows 11. For right now, it looks like your safest and smartest move is still to keep Recall completely turned off. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. 2025 games: This year's upcoming releases Best PC games: Our all-time favorites Free PC games: Freebie fest Best FPS games: Finest gunplay Best RPGs: Grand adventures Best co-op games: Better together Stevie Bonifield Contributor Stevie Bonifield is a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories. Outside of writing, Stevie loves indie games, TTRPGs, and building way too many custom keyboards. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Windows Recall gets an export feature to let non-Microsoft websites and apps use your Copilot PC's snapshots Microsoft's upcoming OneDrive update bypasses security protocols between business and personal files Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant can now optionally see your entire desktop—maybe it will be able to finally explain what Windows error code 0x8007002c means 'AI is no longer optional': Microsoft is allegedly pressuring employees to use AI tools through manager evaluations Microsoft claims 'Windows 11 24H2 is our most reliable version of Windows yet', which would be a welcome change Fooled by a false story about Steam account hacks? Have I Been Pwned 2.0 will now shower you with confetti when you have not, in fact, been pwned Latest in Gaming Industry Death Stranding 2's vtuber cameo is only the beginning of more anime girls appearing in your favorite games, Hololive CEO says Epic's win against Google is upheld, and the Sweenster is loving it: 'Total victory' Microsoft made $27.2 billion in 3 months and still chose to lay 9,000 people off, in case you thought there was simply no other way Gabe Newell acquires yacht company building the $400 million ocean-fortress he'll pick up later this year, because he 'respects the sea' Free adult NSFW content returns to itch.io, as one of the platform's major payment processors expresses hope to 'support adult content in the future' Big Boss and Lady Dimitrescu will host the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2025 Latest in News 'Chat do I go to the office on Saturday to fix this:' The clock is ticking on Peak accidentally hitting players with a map that's impossible to beat It sounds like all the pieces are in place for one of the most underrated RPG greats—from the creators of Fallout⁠, no less—to get the remaster it deserves, but good luck getting someone to make it happen Setting up trade routes is gaming catnip to me, so I'm pouncing on this beautiful city builder on Steam that has some strong Catan vibes Death Stranding 2's vtuber cameo is only the beginning of more anime girls appearing in your favorite games, Hololive CEO says It's a bad day for BioShock fans: BioShock 4 studio heads have been removed as development struggles, while a BioShock remake in development has been cancelled The Elder Scrolls Online 'isn't going anywhere,' new ZeniMax boss says: 'The studio is continuing to work hard on new features, adventures, and improvements' HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best PCIe 5.0 SSD for gaming in 2025: the only Gen 5 drives I will allow in my PC Best graphics cards in 2025: I've tested pretty much every AMD and Nvidia GPU of the past 20 years and these are today's top cards Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Razer BlackShark V3 gaming headset review Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone review Razer BlackShark V3 Pro review Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound review: A fun revival that opts for solid fundamentals over innovation Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate review – A radical overhaul that makes the game worse in almost every way PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Contact Future's experts Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Accessibility Statement Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Please login or signup to comment Please wait...