How Do I Remove | Disable | Exclude My Files From Being Used by Copilot?

Question

I have been a loyal BitDefender user for 20 years, trusting its Antivirus engine enough to allow it access to my most personal, private files and data.

Now I am concerned about my privacy.

When Win 10 support ended, I completely opted out of the Microsoft 'ecosystem.'  When I saw that the MS Copilot LLM is embedded in the engine, I immediately removed the product from my systems.

My current subscription doesn't end until November and I would like to get what I paid for.

How do I prevent the LLM from accessing and training on my personal, private files and data?

Can it be uninstalled? Disabled? Is there a way to prevent the LLM from accessing my most sensitive disks and files (an exclude list, or do not scan sentinel)?

I would appreciate any constructive replies.

(I don't need to be lectured about how preventing BD from doing a complete system scan defeats the purpose of antivirus software.)

Alexandru_BD · Answer

You're most welcome and if my message was helpful, I'm glad to hear that.

For what it's worth, AI is used in cybersecurity mainly to detect patterns, automate responses, and help analysts handle large amounts of security data faster. It's not a replacement for human security teams, but it can make many security tasks more efficient. Cybercriminals also use AI to make phishing emails more convincing, generate malicious code, automate reconnaissance, impersonate voices or writing styles, and scale attacks. This is why cybersecurity teams also need AI-supported defenses, to balance the fight.

Traditionally, a security solution often relies on known signatures. AI can help detect new or modified malware by looking at behavior, file structure, code patterns, or execution activity.

Bottom line is, it helps cybersecurity teams detect, understand, and respond to threats faster, but it works best as a support tool alongside strong security practices and human judgment.

truecritiques · Answer

Hi, Andrew,

Thanks for your prompt response.

I know that I am not alone in my distrust of Microsoft, especially its CoPilot LLM. After 40+ years using Microsoft products, I fully abandoned the platform at Windows 10 ELS.

Thanks for the clarity and reassurance. I hope my question and your answer are helpful to others who want to understand the use of CoPilot within the BD consumer product suite.

I now use my 3-seat BD antivirus license to protect my iPhone, iPad and Mac. (Apple, for all of its warts, is the devil I know).

Cheers-

John

Alexandru_BD · Answer

Hello,

First, I take this opportunity to appreciate your loyalty and to welcome you on these pages. 20 years is a long time, come to think of it, Bitdefender was only 5 years old at that time. Here's to many more years alongside the best cybersecurity company in the world.

Now, I understand the concern here, especially when we're talking about sensitive data. One point that may help clarify things here: Scam Protection Pro is an anti-scam protection layer focused on detecting suspicious links, messages, emails, notifications, calendar invites, and similar scam-related signals. This operates entirely different from the embedded Copilot from Microsoft. Here's a guide on how this feature works:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/103356/

If the concern is Microsoft features accessing local content, those settings need to be managed in Windows/Microsoft account settings, not inside Bitdefender. The security solution cannot meaningfully serve as the control panel for Microsoft’s own Copilot features.

If you are concerned about the the personal data collected by Bitdefender, how and where they may use it, how they protect it, who has access to it, with whom they share it, and how you may correct it, you can consult the Privacy Policy below. I think the relevant section would be 7.1.2. Scam Protection, Chat Protection and App Anomaly:

https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/site/view/legal-privacy-policy-for-home-users-solutions

I hope this brings peace of mind.

Regards