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

Posted by msmash on from the your-time-is-up dept.

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.

6 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Not enough by duke_cheetah2003 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If it were me, I'd configure Windows Defender to flag all third party malware/virus remove trash as malware themselves. Snakeoil all of it. Outright theft and preying on the weak minded with fear.

    1. Re:Not enough by eaglesrule · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So you're the exception, rather than the rule. For those in support roles for large organizations, dealing with malware is a daily occurrence. There is only so many screws to tighten security wise until users become frustrated and angry.

      Since there is no perfect security, there has to be a multi layered approach and A/V is one of these layers that provides herd immunity with hourly updates as threats are identified.

      MS providing an ineffective AV solution won't really affect their bottom line. A vendor whose business model and reputation is staked on it might approach the product differently.

  2. Bundled Avast on my Win10? by Train0987 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Win10 that came on my HP laptop was bundled with Avast that throws the same scary "You may be infected! Upgrade Today!" messages. I jumped through hoops to remove it completely and then sometime last week it came back all on its own after a forced Windows Update.

  3. Re: Will it remove Windows 10? by BenFranske · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah, you're not the target audience and are probably not going to be installing shady registry cleaners and system optimization utilities anyway. Are you also saying we as a society shouldn't try and shut down sketchy con-artist retailers because you're not stupid enough to fall for what they're selling and should be able to waste your money if you want to? Sometimes there are larger social issues at work than just you. You can always turn off Windows Defender if you don't like what it's doing...or run another OS if you prefer.

  4. Re: Will it remove Windows 10? by rogoshen1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You can always turn off Windows Defender if you don't like what it's doing

    For now.

    The windows update bullshit shows where they'd like to go with this. Start small, get users accustomed to the 'user experience improvements', then continually encroach.
    But basically, MS wants to control your computer, and turn it into a conveyance for advertising, or into a platform for gathering data-- er.. sorry, telemetry about you and your computing habits.

    Because one Google was not enough for this world.

  5. Edge and Cortana by vux984 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Dear Microsoft,

    Really looking forward to this feature in Defender. I hate that coercive messaging stuff. I can't wait for it to remove Edge and Cortana from my system.

    Thanks