{
  "id": 1501694,
  "title": "OpenAI Ditches Recall-Style Screenshot Surveillance For Friendly Keylogging",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/openai-ditches-recall-style-screenshot-surveillance-for-friendly",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-17T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Slashdot",
    "slug": "slashdot",
    "url": "https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/08/17/0454255/openai-ditches-recall-style-screenshot-surveillance-for-friendly-keylogging"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An unnamed source reports that OpenAI has introduced a new service called Computer History. This service allows users to opt-in to recording their computer interactions across various apps and websites. The recorded data is organized in a timeline format and stored locally for up to 48 hours, after which it is sent to OpenAI's servers.\n\nComputer History functions similarly to a keylogger and event capture system, capturing events such as clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts, app switches, and context information from the macOS accessibility system. However, it does not record screen images, microphone input, or system audio.\n\nThe data stored by Computer History is not encrypted and can be accessed by other programs running on the user's macOS system. OpenAI advises users to turn off the feature during communications with others, unless they have explicit consent, and to pause it or exclude sensitive apps containing health, financial, or personal information.\n\nChatGPT and Codex, OpenAI's language models, delete locally stored Computer History events after 48 hours. However, data sent to OpenAI for memory generation may be retained longer and potentially reused in future conversations.",
  "summary": "An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: If you want to record whatever you do on a computer, send those records to OpenAI, use more ChatGPT tokens, and increase your vulnerability to prompt injection, then OpenAI has something for you. It's called Computer History, an opt-in way to record your computer interactions across apps and websites as memories organized on a timeline. Why…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}