AdGuard and Brave have taken a strong stance in the ongoing fight over user privacy by blocking Microsoft Recall by default, just like Brave. This move is a good reminder if you’ve ever thought about how private your digital life really is.
Microsoft Recall is an AI-powered “visual timeline” that came with Copilot+ PCs and is now available on most Windows 11 computers. Your PC’s screen continuously records a multitude of items, such as chat messages, private banking sessions, and more.
The goal is supposed to help people “recall” any digital activity or piece of information at a later time, which would make them more productive. However, the silent recording of every part of your screen raises difficult privacy implications.
Responding to AdGuard: Standing up for free speech
AdGuard, which is known for blocking ads strongly and putting privacy first, quickly called Recall a “privacy concern” in their most recent update.
AdvertiserGuard said in its announcement that the very idea of background screen captures was “unsettling.” It pointed out the danger of saving private chat windows or online forms with credit card information without your permission.
Users will notice that when they turn on Tracking Protection in AdGuard for Windows (v7.21 and later), Recall is now turned off automatically. What was the reason?
AdGuard’s engineers say that PIN authentication isn’t always strong, Microsoft’s filters might not catch all of your private data, and users shouldn’t have to give Google, or even a bigger company, control over their privacy.
If you want to feel even safer, you can turn this protection off by going to AdGuard’s Settings > Tracking Protection.
Brave Browser’s Take: Keeping Browsing Truly Private
Brave, which was made to put privacy first when browsing, quickly followed suit. With the newest version, Recall can’t take screenshots of any browsing activity, not just “private” or “incognito” tabs.
This limitation includes all tabs. According to Brave, this is done by telling Windows to treat each browser tab as private. The Recall system won’t be able to get your web history this way.
This is especially important because the things you look at online, like private chats, financial information, and searches about medical conditions or travel plans, are some of the most private and public parts of your digital life.
The philosophy behind Brave’s default block is that it’s not just about blocking ad trackers; it’s also about protecting users from a wide range of new and changing threats to their online privacy.
As someone mindful of digital privacy, I’ve always used tools like AdGuard to block ads and trackers. The most recent episode of Recall shows that privacy threats are getting worse. Privacy tools need to protect us from more than just third-party ad networks; they need to protect us from features built into our operating systems as well.
Key Points and What’s Next
- Default Blocking Is the New Normal: The fact that both AdGuard and Brave now proactively disable Recall by default—not just as an optional setting—represents a paradigm shift. Developers aren’t waiting for privacy violations to happen; they’re taking preventive action as the baseline.
- User Awareness Is Critical: Recall is off by default for now on most Copilot+ PCs, but as the feature rolls out, it’s essential to check whether your privacy tools offer similar protections.
- The Customization Remains:Â Both AdGuard and Brave allow users to re-enable Recall, reflecting a balanced approach: put privacy first, and let power users opt in freely.
Final words
AdGuard, Brave, and early adopters like Signal are leading the way in new privacy-focused technologies. These tools show a larger cultural shift. Companies are choosing to protect users, sometimes against what the big platform companies do by default.
Having clear, actionable blocks on annoying features like Recall is a big step forward in a world where privacy can be lost in the background, one screenshot at a time. As the internet changes, AdGuard’s options like these give users something that’s becoming harder to find: real peace of mind.
