OpenAI ditches Recall-style screenshot surveillance for friendly keylogging
- ID
- 14102
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 14 Aug 2026, 8:27 AM
- Fetched
- 14 Aug 2026, 2:09 PM
- Provider
- The Register
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/08/14/openai-ditches-recall-style-screenshot-surveillance-for-friendly-keylogging/5287618
- Source URL
- https://www.theregister.com/headlines.atom
Summary
- Score
- 6.5
- Created
- 14 Aug 2026, 2:10 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- developersai_agent_userssaas_founders
What happened
OpenAI launched 'Computer History,' an opt-in feature for the ChatGPT macOS desktop app that records clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts, and app switches to build timeline-based memories for ChatGPT. It replaces the earlier screenshot-based 'Chronicle' with input-event capture, storing files unencrypted locally for 48+ hours, with OpenAI warning other macOS user-level programs can access them. Available to Pro, Business, and Enterprise users (not EEA, UK, Switzerland, API, or Bedrock users).
Why it matters
If you use the ChatGPT macOS desktop app on a Pro or Enterprise plan, this feature is off by default but can be enabled by admins or individuals—know what it captures before turning it on, since unencrypted local files containing your keystrokes and clicks are accessible to other processes running as your macOS user. Builders shipping agent tools should note this as another prompt-injection attack surface where sensitive user activity flows into LLM context.
Discussion angle
Compare the security tradeoff: screenshot-based Chronicle vs keylogger-based Computer History—both feed sensitive user activity into LLM context, but which is worse for builders who might enable this on work machines handling client data or production credentials?