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The software giant first introduced malware-like pop-up ads last year with a prompt that appeared over the top of other apps and windows. After pausing that notification to address “unintended behavior,” the pop-ups have returned again on Windows 10 and 11.

Windows users have reported seeing the new pop-up in recent days, advertising Bing AI and Microsoft’s Bing search engine inside Google Chrome. If you click yes to this prompt, then Microsoft will set Bing as the default search engine for Chrome. These latest prompts look like malware, and once again have Windows users asking if they are legit or nefarious. Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that the pop-ups are genuine and should only appear once.

Every trick Microsoft pulled to make you browse Edge instead of Chrome

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[-] anlumo@lemmy.world 178 points 5 months ago

Isn’t that a textbook antitrust violation?

[-] ThePantser@lemmy.world 109 points 5 months ago

USA companies don't give a shit about antitrust anymore. Look at Amazon and Apple, the only places they get bit for their behavior are the European countries.

[-] AProfessional@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

the only places they get bit for their behavior are the European countries.

Even then Apple has been barely bothered. The DMA is the first big test, Apple has clearly not complied in spirit, lets see if that’s allowed and nothing changes.

[-] thantik@lemmy.world 38 points 5 months ago

Yes but Microsoft learned once you start lining the pockets of the right people, nothing happens to you!

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[-] TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.world 27 points 5 months ago

Yeah, but when they get fined 0.004% of their revenue with each violation then it's hardly even worth worrying about. Legal penalties are basically minor business expenses to these companies - like buying toilet paper for the office bathrooms.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 24 points 5 months ago

Isn’t that a textbook antitrust violation?

Apparently not. Google is nagging Edge users who visit Google services since years to switch to their "secure web browser with frequent updates" (implying that Edge doesn't get any, despite being the same Chromium thing as Chrome). (Firefox is exempt because FF defaults to Google Search)

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 19 points 5 months ago

BWAHAHAhahahahaaaaaa! Aiiigh! Oh! Oh man. snif. Haha ha. Ahhhhhh fuck.

Yes. But micro$oft was declared a monopoly 20+ years ago and . . gestures to everything

what, you want reform? It didn’t have the votes.

[-] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 22 points 5 months ago

Microsoft and the government:

[-] Pohl@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

Trust is when two or more companies secretly collude against the interest of customers. That is what you would find in a textbook anyway. This is more an abuse of monopoly.

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[-] deranger@sh.itjust.works 78 points 5 months ago

I looked at the links in the source and they’re Windows popups, not Chrome injections. Shitty reporting from the verge.

[-] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 39 points 5 months ago

almost just as scummy though

[-] deranger@sh.itjust.works 45 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I don’t disagree but damn, can we get some accurate reporting? No need to lie about how shitty Microsoft can be.

[-] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 10 points 5 months ago

Yeah agreed, that title is literally a lie.

[-] warm@kbin.earth 7 points 5 months ago

You expected better from the verge?

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[-] NoRodent@lemmy.world 78 points 5 months ago
[-] UnityDevice@startrek.website 15 points 5 months ago

They're doing this at the OS level, so Firefox can't protect you from that, the issue is with Windows. They could do the same to Firefox, they just don't bother.

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[-] aPirate@lemmy.dbzer0.com 63 points 5 months ago

Well I'm glad I switched to Linux, its only going to get worse.

[-] herpaderp@lemmynsfw.com 9 points 5 months ago

Like, Christ — this is the kinda shit Microsoft has to do when they are the majority market share of desktop computing?

[-] Dehydrated@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

I hope more users will do the same

[-] Jocker@sh.itjust.works 53 points 5 months ago

Microsoft convinced me to switch... to Linux

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[-] Dehydrated@lemmy.world 42 points 5 months ago

Easy Solution: Linux, Firefox/LibreWolf, DuckDuckGo

Fuck Microsoft!

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[-] conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 37 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

These latest prompts ~~look like malware~~

Are malware.

The constant stream of this horseshit is why I abandoned Windows nonsense again.

[-] joe_cool@lemmy.ml 11 points 5 months ago

If I continue to break the law with my car they will take it away.

MS should be forced to sell Bing+Edge as a separate entity.

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[-] qx128@lemmy.world 32 points 5 months ago

laughs in Linux desktop

Why do people continue to put up with this? I don’t get any ads or bloatware like “Paint 3D” or “X Box” on Linux Mint. And Linux desktops are so easy to use now! Blows my mind that people tolerate these antics from Microsoft.

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[-] callmepk@lemmy.world 28 points 5 months ago

“wE VAlue prOviDING oUR CuStomERs With CHOice, So THerE IS An OPtIoN to DisMiss tHE NOTiFiCATiON” - Microsoft responding to Windows Latest regarding this

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[-] flop_leash_973@lemmy.world 27 points 5 months ago

Nothing turns me off of a product or service like the maker begging and trying to trick me into using their wares. Once they start doing that I will usually end up using technically inferior things to avoid them a lot of the time.

[-] Zink@pawb.social 26 points 5 months ago

Good, let these two horrible browsers fill eachother with bloat until they both fall out.

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago

First of all fuck Bing and Microsoft. That's it, comment complete.

[-] weeeeum@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

Exactly I'm a tech guy and I don't give a fuck how many other tech guys say "bing is really good now", I'm never fucking using it.

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[-] KISSmyOS@feddit.de 22 points 5 months ago

“We value providing our customers with choice, so there is an option to dismiss the notification.”

Thank you daddy Microsoft for still letting me click "no" on your invasive popup ad with a dark pattern to make me change my system settings.

[-] joe_cool@lemmy.ml 7 points 5 months ago

I wonder what would happen if Chrome asked the user to replace Onedrive with Google Drive on startup.

[-] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 14 points 5 months ago

Good, let them fight each other to the death. In the meantime, we need to make sure we're all on the same page for reviving anti-monopoly laws in the USA.

[-] Resol@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

Which means us Firefox users can have some popcorn 🍿

That is until they reach us. I hope they don't.

[-] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-13/firefox-maker-mozilla-is-cutting-60-jobs-after-naming-new-ceo

Someone from Airbnb and Ebay is running the show now. There is gonna be an enshitification speedrun on firefox coming.

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[-] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago

malware like popup ads

What the difference between a virus and window? A virus is well maintained by its creator.

[-] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Microsoft continues to make me thankful for switching to Linux. It is refreshing to be able to control your computer experience.

[-] Wiz@midwest.social 10 points 5 months ago

Strangely, I have not seen this on Firefox with Unlock Origin.

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[-] themurphy@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Haven't seen this in the EU. Anyone knows if this is prevented here?

[-] T156@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

It might be blocked by the DMA, or at least, make Microsoft hesitate about it, since they're meant to treat all browsers equally, which would also mean not advertising their browser in another browser.

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[-] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

If Apple injected Safari ads into Chrome on macOS...

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[-] DingoBilly@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

Use Windows on the daily and still have never seen these at all, on multiple computers as well.

Generally I'd agree it's shitty behaviour though.

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this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2024
695 points (97.4% liked)

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