Microsoft is up to its old tricks again. This time they are using Windows Update to force feed the Chrome based version of the Microsoft Edge browser onto your computer. And if that isn’t bad enough, you can’t uninstall it. Here’s the details from The Verge:
If I told you that my entire computer screen just got taken over by a new app that I’d never installed or asked for — it just magically appeared on my desktop, my taskbar, and preempted my next website launch — you’d probably tell me to run a virus scanner and stay away from shady websites, no?
But the insanely intrusive app I’m talking about isn’t a piece of ransomware. It’s Microsoft’s new Chromium Edge browser, which the company is now force-feeding users via an automatic update to Windows.
Seriously, when I restarted my Windows 10 desktop this week, an app I’d never asked for:
- Immediately launched itself
- Tried to convince me to migrate away from Chrome, giving me no discernible way to click away or say no
- Pinned itself to my desktop and taskbar
- Ignored my previous browser preference by asking me — the next time I launched a website — whether I was sure I wanted to use Chrome instead of Microsoft’s oh-so-humble recommendation.
This is really low. Even for a company who is known for having a habit of doing things that can be considered to be incredibly shady. And this sort of scumbaggery has gotten them into trouble in the past. Here’s the mind blowing part. They aren’t even trying to hide it as they admit to what they are doing here. Talk about ballsy.
Now Microsoft will argue that they are updating users from the old Edge browser to the new Edge browser. And if they simply left it at that, I would be cool with this. But to then auto launch and try to get you to switch browsers is not cool. After all, users should have the choice to use whatever browser they want. This is where I think that someone like the US Government or the EU needs to educate Microsoft that this sort of behavior is not acceptable, and perhaps force them to moderate their behavior.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
This entry was posted on July 4, 2020 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Microsoft Forces Chrome Based Version Of Edge Upon Users…. And You Can’t Uninstall It…. WTF??
Microsoft is up to its old tricks again. This time they are using Windows Update to force feed the Chrome based version of the Microsoft Edge browser onto your computer. And if that isn’t bad enough, you can’t uninstall it. Here’s the details from The Verge:
If I told you that my entire computer screen just got taken over by a new app that I’d never installed or asked for — it just magically appeared on my desktop, my taskbar, and preempted my next website launch — you’d probably tell me to run a virus scanner and stay away from shady websites, no?
But the insanely intrusive app I’m talking about isn’t a piece of ransomware. It’s Microsoft’s new Chromium Edge browser, which the company is now force-feeding users via an automatic update to Windows.
Seriously, when I restarted my Windows 10 desktop this week, an app I’d never asked for:
This is really low. Even for a company who is known for having a habit of doing things that can be considered to be incredibly shady. And this sort of scumbaggery has gotten them into trouble in the past. Here’s the mind blowing part. They aren’t even trying to hide it as they admit to what they are doing here. Talk about ballsy.
Now Microsoft will argue that they are updating users from the old Edge browser to the new Edge browser. And if they simply left it at that, I would be cool with this. But to then auto launch and try to get you to switch browsers is not cool. After all, users should have the choice to use whatever browser they want. This is where I think that someone like the US Government or the EU needs to educate Microsoft that this sort of behavior is not acceptable, and perhaps force them to moderate their behavior.
Share this:
Like this:
Related
This entry was posted on July 4, 2020 at 4:06 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.