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Bing Bans 'Computer Support' Ads From Its Network (mspoweruser.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft has changed the terms of service for its Bing Ad network to disallow ads which offer computer support service. Its Bing Ads User Safety Policy now reads: Bing Ads disallows the promotion of third party online technical support services to consumers because of serious quality issues that can impact end user safety. These ads mislead users, tricking them to believe that their PC is infected. This is clearly a move to block scammers from making victims of Bing users, but any and all third party tech support ads will be blocked, including, perhaps legitimate ones.
Wouldn't it just be easier to ban Windows users from Bing? Solves several problems at once. :)
"Computer support" scams are so common these days. I am glad that someone is doing something about curbing them.
They pretty on the computer illiterate and at best part you from your money for no reason. At worst they install whatever the hell they want while they are providing remote "support".
It's nice to see a company say no to revenue in order to help their users.
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
I'm all for blocking the scams, but how rampant is that, really?
Is this your first day on the Internet?
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
It's kinda interesting. Even when MS is doing something that looks user-oriented and customer-friendly on the outside one can't help but wonder how they're trying to screw someone.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Its my understanding that it is just the ads they aren't allowing. If you specifically search for a computer repair service I'm sure you will still get hits.
Nah, just someone who uses adblockers.
I'm always aghast when I look at the internet on a non-adblocked computer. The impact of having adblockers and tools like privacy badger is easy to forget until you don't have them.
On the whole, I find that I prefer Slashdot posts to twitter ones because I don't get limited to 140 chars before
It's hard these days for people who think being an asshole is an essential part of their being
Incorrect. In the US, our right to be an asshole is protected by the Constitution. Unlike other countries, we don't need some cobbled together justification to be dicks to other people, we embedded it into our cultural DNA. That's true freedom.
Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
Are you just conviently ignoring the fact that 99% of those tech support ads online are scammers?
It's so bad there are dozens of YouTube channels dedicated to wasting the scammer's time.
These scammers will say anything is a virus or hackers. Like they will tell people to run netstat and say these connections are all hackers. Or they will have them open msconfig and say "see, not all your services are running...you need to pay us $500."
Then if you do pay, they delete everything or run syskey and try to make you pay for the password.
In short they are being blocked because they are not legit.
Also, let's not forget that bing is private property of Microsoft. It's literally their way or the highway.
Except that methane is odorless.
There are several chemicals that contribute to the smell of farts:
- skatole (by-product of meat digestion)
- indole (by-product of meat digestion)
- methanethiol (a sulfur compound)
- dimethyl sulfide (a sulfur compound)
- hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg odor, flammable)
- volatile amines
- short chain fatty acids
- feces (if present in the rectum)
- bacteria
Source
I come here for the love
No - it's called experience..
There are effective levels of compromise that can be done here.
For starters, A power-users set of options may be turned on, after viewing a scare page.
Something along the lines of:
"If you are reaching this site at the direction of a technical support rep claiming to work for Microsoft, Close this window now and hang up. Microsoft support will NEVER tell you to change ANY options in this control pannel. By setting the options in this control pannel, you acknowledge that you are taking personal responsibility for the health and reliability of your system, and release Microsoft from any and all waranty coverage, without exception, agree that you are no longer entitled to any support of any kind from Microsoft, and agree to not hold Microsoft liable for any damages or loss of revinue involving this system. If you agree with these conditions, click OK below. If not, close this window now."
Then have all the deep-system options a hardcore power user could want inside. To prevent these options being set programmatically behind people's backs by malware, it needs to have crytpographic exchange involving the user's input to enable, or some similar blockade to stop malware turning it on silently.
For the people that really want to manage their device themselves, such an option should be available IMO.