Editor's take: Windows Recall continues to raise security concerns. Microsoft has redesigned the feature to improve data and identity protection following public outcry, but a new tool is now reigniting the controversy. I have to suspect that few people in their right mind would choose to enable or use it at this point.
Google, Microsoft, and Meta largely ignore cookie opt-outs, independent audit says
Bottom line: Those annoying cookie-consent banners that have flooded the internet over the past several years are supposed to give users the option to block most tracking cookies from advertisers. However, a recent California audit claims that the largest ad tech companies usually send cookies anyway, having decided that simply paying potential billions in fines is more profitable.
Editor's take: As Microsoft builds Copilot AI deeper into Windows, the move is rekindling debate over how much control any one company should exercise over the computing environment that so many people rely on. For Mozilla, that question has become a renewed challenge to Microsoft's dominance over the desktop and its implications for competition.
The big picture: European governments have long sought to reduce their dependency on non-European (i.e., American) software. While individual municipalities and government sectors have recently begun switching to homegrown options, France's latest announcement signals a broader shift away from tools such as Windows, Microsoft Office, Zoom, and Google Docs.
The big picture: Thanks to Microsoft's massive promotional campaigns around everything Copilot, most people are now aware that the product is integrated into Windows, Office, and virtually everywhere else. However, many are probably unaware of the full extent of that integration.