Ddos 
Microsoft’s AI-powered facial recognition feature in OneDrive is currently in limited preview, meaning not all users have access to it yet. However, early testers who have gained entry to the feature have discovered that it can only be disabled up to three times per year.
The AI face-scanning system automatically analyzes all photos stored in OneDrive, identifying and grouping individuals to allow users to categorize images by person or quickly locate specific faces. Once officially released, the feature is expected to be enabled by default.
According to tests conducted by Slashdot, enabling or disabling the facial recognition option prompts a warning message: “You can only turn off this setting three times per year.” The exact reasoning behind this restriction has not yet been disclosed.
One possible explanation is that when users deactivate the feature, Microsoft deletes all facial grouping data within 30 days. Re-enabling the feature then triggers a complete rescan of the photo library, which could be computationally intensive, prompting Microsoft to limit frequent toggling in order to conserve resources.
For users concerned about privacy, disabling the feature remains entirely possible — even though Microsoft has assured that the collected data will not be shared externally.
“Microsoft collects, uses, and stores facial scans and biometric information from your photos through the OneDrive app for facial grouping technologies. This helps you quickly and easily organize photos of friends and family. Only you can see your face groupings. If you share a photo or album with another individual, face groupings will not be shared.”
Microsoft further emphasizes that the feature will never be used to train AI models, and that all collected data is restricted solely to improving functionality for the user who enables it. The company explicitly states:
“Microsoft does not use any of your facial scans and biometric information to train or improve the AI model overall. Any data you provide is only used to help triage and improve the results of your account, no one else’s.”
Thus, for those who prioritize privacy, simply disabling the feature once after its release should be sufficient. The limit of three deactivations per year is unlikely to be an issue — as long as Microsoft refrains from silently re-enabling the feature without user consent.
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