Microsoft’s Sneaky New Copilot Feature: Why You Should Turn It Off Now

In a move that’s raising eyebrows across the tech community, Microsoft has quietly rolled out a new “memory” feature for its Copilot AI assistant that’s enabled by default and could be collecting far more of your personal data than you realize.

The Hidden Data Grab

Here’s what’s happening: Microsoft has added a new toggle in Copilot’s settings that allows the AI to pull information from your Bing search history, Microsoft Edge browsing data, MSN activity, and other Microsoft services to “improve” your experience. The problem? This feature is turned on automatically, with no clear notification to users about what specific data is being collected or how it’s being used.

According to reports from Windows Latest, this essentially means your cookies, browser history, and search queries from Microsoft’s ecosystem could be feeding directly into Copilot’s responses. While Microsoft frames this as a way to make the AI more personalized and effective, the lack of transparency is troubling many privacy advocates.

The Bigger Picture: Microsoft’s AI Push

This isn’t happening in isolation. Microsoft has been aggressively embedding AI features across its product lineup, positioning Edge as an “AI browser” and integrating Copilot deeply into Windows 11. The company appears to be racing to catch up with competitors like Google and Perplexity, but this heavy-handed approach to data collection is backfiring.

Many Windows users have already expressed frustration with Microsoft’s AI strategy, with some going to great lengths to remove Copilot entirely. Last year, users actually celebrated when a Windows 11 bug accidentally uninstalled Copilot for some users—a clear sign of how unwanted these features have become.

Why This Matters

The real concern here isn’t just about convenience versus privacy—it’s about the potential for sensitive information to be inadvertently shared. Without clear boundaries on what data Copilot can access, users could be unknowingly feeding personal documents, private conversations, or sensitive work information into Microsoft’s AI systems.

There’s also the looming question of whether this feature might eventually expand to pull data from your actual Windows installation, potentially accessing personal files, system information, or even hardware details. Given that we already know AI systems can be exploited to install malware, this represents a significant security risk.

How to Protect Yourself

If you’re uncomfortable with Copilot potentially accessing your data across Microsoft services, here’s how to disable this feature:

1. Navigate to the Copilot website in your browser
2. Sign in using the profile icon in the bottom left corner
3. Go to the Settings menu and find the “Memory” section
4. Locate the toggle labeled “Microsoft usage data” and turn it off
5. For extra security, select “Delete all memory” to remove any data Copilot has already collected

Keep in mind that disabling this feature may make Copilot less effective at tasks that rely on your personal data, but for many users, that trade-off is worth the added privacy protection.

The Bottom Line

Microsoft’s approach here exemplifies a growing problem in the tech industry: companies implementing invasive features by default while burying the controls to disable them. This “opt-out” rather than “opt-in” philosophy puts the burden on users to protect their own privacy.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into our daily digital lives, we need to ask ourselves: is the convenience of a slightly smarter chatbot worth the potential loss of privacy? For many, the answer will be a resounding no.

Tags: Microsoft Copilot, data privacy, AI features, Windows 11, Bing, Edge browser, data collection, privacy settings, Microsoft usage data, AI chatbot, data harvesting, privacy concerns, tech news, Microsoft privacy, Copilot settings

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