The Brave browser, known for its privacy-focused approach, recently announced that it will block Microsoft’s Recall feature by default in versions 1.81 and above. Recall, which has faced criticism for its data collection practices, is currently in preview, and its final form remains uncertain. Brave’s decision stems from its commitment to user privacy and the potential risks associated with having browsing history stored in a database.
According to a recent blog post from Brave, the company has taken proactive steps to ensure that browsing activity remains private. “Given Brave’s focus on privacy-maximizing defaults and what is at stake here (your entire browsing history), we have proactively disabled Recall for all Brave tabs,” the post states. This means that users of the Brave browser can browse the internet without their activity being recorded or indexed by Recall.
However, Brave does provide users with a way to manage this feature. Users can enable Recall’s ability to save what they view by adjusting the settings within the browser. Brave also employs a standardized method to restrict Recall from recording data, emphasizing user control over their online privacy.
For users not using Brave, there are still options available to manage Recall. Microsoft has included settings that let users filter snapshots, including the option to entirely disable snapshotting. However, it’s worth noting that users must opt in to use Recall on other browsers, and Microsoft maintains stringent controls through Windows Hello.
Ultimately, while Recall offers tools to manage privacy in various browsers, Brave takes the initiative by disabling this feature by default, providing an extra layer of security for users concerned about their online activity.