Brave (v1.81) and AdGuard (v7.21) announced they would block Microsoft Recall by default in July 2025, joining Signal in the growing coalition of privacy software rejecting Microsoft's safeguards.
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Key Facts:
Brave approach: Marks tabs as "private" so Recall excludes them; preserves normal screenshots
AdGuard approach: System-wide Recall blocking via Tracking Protection settings
Advantage: Brave's method keeps accessibility tools and legitimate screenshots working
Pattern: Privacy software industry consensus that Recall cannot be trusted
Brave approach: Marks tabs as "private" so Recall excludes them; preserves normal screenshots
AdGuard approach: System-wide Recall blocking via Tracking Protection settings
Advantage: Brave's method keeps accessibility tools and legitimate screenshots working
Pattern: Privacy software industry consensus that Recall cannot be trusted
Brave cited "highly-privacy-sensitive cases such as intimate partner violence" as justification. AdGuard called the very idea of background screen captures "unsettling." Mozilla Firefox engineers confirmed they were working on similar protections.
Sources: Brave · Engadget · gHacks · The Register
