Microsoft only lets you opt out of AI photo scanning 3x a year (hardware.slashdot.org)

Article summary

Microsoft's OneDrive is testing a face-recognizing AI feature for photos, which can be turned off by users, but only three times a year. This limitation has raised concerns and sparked a discussion about user privacy and the potential misuse of such technology. The feature is currently being tested for some preview users, and it is unclear how it will be implemented for all users. The limitation on turning off the feature has been met with criticism and speculation about the reasons behind it.

Main themes

• Facial Recognition
• User Privacy
• Cloud Storage
• AI Technology
• Data Protection
• Corporate Policies

What commenters say

• The limitation on turning off the face-recognizing feature is a clear invasion of user privacy and a sign of Microsoft's disregard for user autonomy.
• The feature is likely intended to scan for CSAM and other illicit content, but the implementation is flawed and prone to false positives.
• The use of perceptual hashes for image scanning is a flawed approach that can be easily tricked and is not suitable for critical applications.
• The real concern is not the technology itself, but the potential for mission creep and the expansion of the system to scan for other types of content.
• The system's design and implementation are overly complex and prone to errors, making it a threat to user privacy and security.
• The limitation on turning off the feature is likely due to technical and legal reasons, such as the need to delete biometric data and regenerate it when the feature is turned back on.
• The feature is a clear example of corporate overreach and a sign that companies are more interested in collecting and exploiting user data than in protecting user privacy.
• The use of AI and machine learning for image scanning is a necessary evil in the fight against CSAM and other illicit content, but it must be implemented in a way that respects user privacy and autonomy.