Signal announced today that it is updating its Windows app to prevent the system from capturing screenshots, thus safeguarding displayed content.
The new “screen security” feature is enabled by default on Windows 11 and aims to protect user privacy from Microsoft’s Recall feature, which records continuous screenshots of activities for later reference. While Microsoft paused the rollout of Recall last year following user backlash, it resumed testing in April with an opt-in option and a pause feature.
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Despite these changes, Signal warns that Recall can still capture sensitive content. When users attempt to take a screenshot with the screen security setting activated, they will only see a blank screen.
Signal also cautioned that some functions, like screen readers, may not operate correctly with this setting enabled. Users can disable it by navigating to Signal Settings > Privacy > Screen Security. A warning will appear when attempting to turn off this option, requiring confirmation to prevent accidental changes.
In a blog post, Signal expressed concern, stating, “We hope that AI teams developing systems like Recall will consider these implications more carefully. Apps like Signal shouldn’t need to implement ‘one weird tricks’ to maintain privacy without proper developer tools.”
SOURCE: THE VERGE
