← Laptops
F

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 (Copilot+)

Your laptop takes a screenshot of everything you do. Microsoft calls this a feature.
Fail
Microsoft · 🇺🇸 United States · WiFi + Bluetooth
PolicyApp PermissionsNetwork TrafficFirmwareRegulatory
Technical details
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Model: Surface Pro 11 (Copilot+)

⚠️ The bottom line

Microsoft spent a year redesigning Recall's security after researchers extracted everything in 2 seconds. The new version? Researchers extracted everything again. The database also has secret tracking fields Microsoft never told anyone about. They built a vault, got robbed, rebuilt it, got robbed again. Microsoft made a huge deal about requiring your face or fingerprint for Recall. Turns out that's only for setup. After that, a 4-digit PIN unlocks your entire visual history. Like putting a retinal scanner on your front door but leaving the back door open with a Post-it saying "1234.".

Legal jurisdiction
🇺🇸 United States (headquarters)
⚠CLOUD Act read more →
US govt can demand your data from this company even if stored overseas
⚠FISA §702 / PRISM read more →
NSA collects stored emails, photos, messages without individual warrants
●Geofence warrants read more →
Police can demand location data for everyone near a crime scene
Spying
3/4 HIGH
Is someone spying on me?
Data Sharing
3/4 HIGH
Who gets my data?
Security
3/4 HIGH
Is it actually secure?
Honesty
4/4 EXTREME
Can I trust what they say?
REPLACE Extreme risk. Look for alternatives or lock down hard.
10Contradictions
4Critical
4High
2Medium
10Sources
Findings by concern
Spying 3/4 HIGH 3 findings
⚠️ criticalpolicy claims vs firmware analysis
Microsoft made a huge deal about requiring your face or fingerprint for Recall. Turns out that's only for setup. After that, a 4-digit PIN unlocks your entire visual history. Like putting a retinal scanner on your front door but leaving the back door open with a Post-it saying "1234."

What they claim: Microsoft requires Windows Hello biometrics (face/fingerprint) to set up Recall. Implies biometric auth gates access to Recall data.

What we found: Beaumont found biometrics only required for INITIAL SETUP. After that, a PIN works. "Will create false sense of security — almost every news article says biometrics are now needed." Feature cannot be fully uninstalled from Copilot+ PCs.

⚡ highpolicy claims vs firmware analysis
Microsoft says you choose what to share. Step one: create a Microsoft account or you cannot use your laptop. By the time you reach privacy settings, they already have your identity. The "choice" is which surveillance features to turn on, not whether to be surveilled.

What they claim: Privacy statement positions data sharing as user choice. Setup presents privacy toggles. "You are in control."

What we found: Windows 11 eliminated local account during setup — MUST create Microsoft account before reaching privacy settings. Advertising ID generated during mandatory account creation. Workarounds progressively closed. NPU, Recall, Copilot present regardless of settings — disable but cannot uninstall.

⚫ mediumfirmware analysis vs policy claims
Microsoft put a 45 TOPS neural processor in your laptop and said it was for "creativity." It runs at 80% processing screenshots of everything you do. They didn't build the chip then wonder what to do with it. They knew what they wanted and designed hardware to match.

What they claim: NPU (45 TOPS) marketed as enabling "amazing new AI experiences" and "creativity." "Most AI-ready Windows PC."

What we found: NPU runs ~80% utilisation during Recall — screenshots, OCR, semantic indexing continuously. Not a general-purpose chip; surveillance-architecture chip. Microsoft required 45 TOPS minimum because the surveillance workload demands it. NPU driver has CVE-2024-53034 (critical memory corruption).

Data Sharing 3/4 HIGH 2 findings
⚡ highpolicy claims vs app permissions
Microsoft swore Recall data would never train their AI. Five months later, Gaming Copilot ships with "train our AI on your data" turned on by default. Same company, same year, same screenshot tech, opposite privacy promises. Pick a lane, Microsoft.

What they claim: Recall docs: "snapshots aren't sent to Microsoft" and not used to train AI. M365 Copilot: "prompts and responses NOT used to train Microsoft AI models."

What we found: Gaming Copilot defaults to training AI on user text and voice conversations. Microsoft confirmed this. Set to train by DEFAULT — opposite of stated Recall policy. Two AI screenshot products, same company, same year, opposite data policies.

⚡ highapp permissions vs firmware analysis
You uninstall Copilot. It comes back. You uninstall OneDrive. It comes back. Microsoft's apps are like that friend who keeps showing up uninvited — except this friend reads your files, browsing, chats, and work profile. In Europe they actually leave. Everywhere else, tough luck.

What they claim: Microsoft markets preinstalled apps as "Windows experience." Users can "manage installed apps through Settings."

What we found: Copilot cannot be normally removed. Users report OneDrive/Copilot reappear after uninstall — Office auto-repair and Windows Update reinstall them. EU users can uninstall Edge (DMA) confirming Microsoft knows how but chooses not to elsewhere. Each app feeds separate data pipeline.

Security 3/4 HIGH 3 findings
⚠️ criticalpolicy claims vs firmware analysis
Microsoft spent a year redesigning Recall's security after researchers extracted everything in 2 seconds. The new version? Researchers extracted everything again. The database also has secret tracking fields Microsoft never told anyone about. They built a vault, got robbed, rebuilt it, got robbed again.

What they claim: Microsoft: "Recall processes content locally and securely stores it on your device." "Snapshots aren't sent to Microsoft" and data is "always encrypted" with keys in VBS Enclave.

What we found: March 2026: TotalRecall Reloaded bypassed VBS Enclave via AIXHost.exe injection. Extracted screenshots, OCR text, CSV metadata in plaintext. Beaumont confirmed: "yep, you can just read the database as a user process." Also found undisclosed tracking fields. SECOND time researchers fully extracted the Recall database.

⚡ highregulatory findings vs policy claims
Six European regulators found Microsoft violating privacy law. France, Netherlands, Canada, EU's own watchdog. Total fine for Windows telemetry? Zero euros. Microsoft has learned that Windows telemetry violations carry no financial consequences.

What they claim: Microsoft: "committed to making privacy a core value" with GDPR compliance and EU Data Boundary commitments.

What we found: France CNIL (2016): excessive telemetry. Netherlands DPA (2017/2018): law breach, sensitive data inference. Canada OPC (2018): insufficient consent. EDPS (2024): EU Commission's own M365 use violates law. Only actual fine: EUR 60M for Bing cookie banners. Zero euros fined for Windows OS telemetry.

⚫ mediumregulatory findings vs policy claims
Microsoft has 15 documented privacy incidents across 10 years. Every Windows release collects more data with worse defaults. Their response each time: add another privacy toggle that doesn't stop collection. "Privacy is a fundamental right" is doing a LOT of heavy lifting.

What they claim: Microsoft: "Privacy is a fundamental right." "Built for secure, productive work."

What we found: 15 documented incidents 2015-2025, escalating each release. Wi-Fi Sense, GWX dark pattern, Cortana 45-page privacy docs, CNIL notice, EFF confirmation, Netherlands breach, Office 365 covert telemetry, mandatory accounts, Recall plaintext DB, TotalRecall, Gaming Copilot silent install, VBS bypass. Every release: more collection, more toggles that do less.

Honesty 4/4 EXTREME 2 findings
⚠️ criticalpolicy claims vs firmware analysis
Windows has a lovely privacy settings page. You can turn everything off. It does not matter. Underneath, a process called MAPS reports every file you touch to Microsoft. It used to have an off switch. Microsoft removed it. The privacy settings are a placebo.

What they claim: Privacy dashboard offers six categories of controls. Diagnostic data can be set to "Required" minimum. "Choose how much data to share."

What we found: Even with ALL visible settings disabled, MAPS (Microsoft Active Protection Service) sends metadata about every file you create. Used to be called "Microsoft SpyNet" with a visible off switch. In Windows 11, switch removed. EFF confirmed (2016) data sent with all settings disabled; CompanionLink confirmed same in March 2026.

⚠️ criticalpolicy claims vs app permissions
Microsoft learned its lesson from Recall and made it opt-in. Then shipped Gaming Copilot — same thing but sends data to the cloud, installs without asking, turns on by default. The lesson they learned was to use a different product name.

What they claim: After Recall backlash, Microsoft made it opt-in. Nadella and Davuluri stressed they "listened to feedback" and AI features respect user choice.

What we found: Oct 2025: Gaming Copilot silently installed via Xbox Game Bar, enabled by default, no consent. Sends screenshots to Azure cloud — not local. Beaumont confirmed network traffic to undocumented endpoints even when widget CLOSED. Previously uninstalled Copilot reinstalled. Removing requires admin PowerShell.

What happened to real people
Documented incidents involving Microsoft products and user data.
First PRISM participant (2007). 31% of US legal demands come with secrecy orders — 1,974 gag orders in H1 2025 alone. Users never told their data was demanded. [source]
Storm-0558: Chinese hackers used a stolen Microsoft signing key to access US government officials' email accounts. Microsoft's own infrastructure was the attack vector. [source]
What your data is worth to governments
Microsoft complied with 6,288 government data requests in H1 2025. That's 31% of demands include secrecy orders. Microsoft has been a confirmed PRISM participant since 2007. Under this programme, the NSA collects stored communications. The company is legally prohibited from telling you. Jurisdiction: US (CLOUD Act, FISA Section 702, Patriot Act).
Documented: First PRISM participant (2007). 31% of US legal demands come with secrecy orders — 1,974 gag orders in H1 2025 alone. Users never told their data was demanded.
Documented: Storm-0558: Chinese hackers used a stolen Microsoft signing key to access US government officials' email accounts. Microsoft's own infrastructure was the attack vector.
What is PRISM? · What is the CLOUD Act? · Transparency report
Sources