Windows Defender Will Soon Start Removing Applications With Coercive Messaging: Cleaners and Optimizers Put on Notice (cso.com.au)

Microsoft is stepping up its efforts to protect Windows users from programs that use fear to convince people to buy or upgrade products. From a report: The Redmond company is taking aim at all software that use scary messaging to convince people to upgrade to a paid product that purportedly fixes a problem detected by a free version. Specifically it is targeting registry cleaners and optimizers, which Microsoft previously didn't endorse but also didn't blacklist them as unwanted programs or malware. That's changing on March 1. "We find this practice problematic because it can pressure customers into making unnecessary purchase decisions," said Barak Shein, a member of the Windows Defender security research team. From March 1 Microsoft's Windows Defender and other security products will "classify programs that display coercive messages as unwanted software, which will be detected and removed," Shein said.

Comments

Will it remove Windows 10?

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's start with that and see where it takes us.

Re: Will it remove Windows 10?

[CaptainDork]

And answer the goddam phone.

I called 7 times and left 4 messages, "Hi, this is Windows. I be calling you sir to tell that virus infect computer. Allow me to connect long distance and removing infected for $89 dollaros, US, please or your license will escape."