Microsoft Quietly Adds New Windows App That Wants to Scan Your Face
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- Microsoft is rolling out a new OneDrive Photos app to some Windows 11 PCs via Windows Update or updates to the existing OneDrive client, rather than as a separate download.
- The app indexes local photo libraries, adds AI-powered search using natural-language queries and OCR, and includes an optional People feature that groups similar faces.
- The People facial-grouping feature requires opt-in because face data may qualify as biometric information in some jurisdictions; groups are visible only to the user, aren't shared with third parties, and can be deleted.
- OneDrive Photos can detect and display locally stored images even when users aren't signed into a Microsoft account, and currently cannot be removed without uninstalling OneDrive entirely from Windows.
- The rollout comes two years after Microsoft overhauled its AI-powered Recall screenshotting tool—making it opt-in by default—following a privacy backlash.
- Google began downloading its roughly 4GB Gemini Nano AI model to eligible Chrome installations through browser updates in May, adding to concerns about AI capabilities arriving through routine software updates.
Why it matters: Windows 11 users are getting an app they never installed that indexes their local photos and groups faces, with no standalone way to remove it short of uninstalling OneDrive entirely. Because face data may count as biometric information in some jurisdictions, the opt-in requirement isn't just courtesy—it's a legal necessity, and the parallels to the Recall fiasco will intensify scrutiny.
