Microsoft Criticized For Chrome Popup Ads Resembling Malware That Urge Users to Switch to Bing

"Multiple users around the world have started to notice new Microsoft Bing pop-up ads that look a lot like malware..." reports Lifehacker, describing the adds as "very low quality" and "extremely pixelated..."

"It's just Microsoft doing a bad job of trying to get you to switch to its products."

The Register explains: [W]hile using Google's desktop browser on Windows 10 or 11, a dialog box suddenly and irritatingly appears to the side of the screen urging folks to make Microsoft's Bing the default search engine in Chrome. Not only that, netizens are told they can use Chrome to interact with Bing's OpenAI GPT-4-powered chat bot, allowing them to ask questions and get answers using natural language. We can forgive those who thought this was malware at first glance. "Chat with GPT-4 for free on Chrome!" the pop-up advert, shown below, declares. "Get hundreds of daily chat turns with Bing AI."

It goes on: "Try Bing as default search," then alleges: "Easy to switch back. Install Bing Service to improve chat experience." Users are encouraged to click on "Yes" in the Microsoft pop-up to select Bing as Chrome's default search engine. What's really gross is the next part. Clicking "Yes" installs the Bing Chrome extension and changes the default search provider. Chrome alerts the user in another dialog box that something potentially malicious is trying to update their settings. Google's browser recommends you click on a "Change it back" button to undo the tweak.

But Redmond is one step ahead, displaying a message underneath Chrome's alert that reads: "Wait — don't change it back! If you do, you'll turn off Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome and lose access to Bing AI with GPT-4 and DALL-E 3."

This is where we're at: Two Big Tech giants squabbling in front of users via dialog boxes.
"Essentially, users are caught in a war of pop-ups between one company trying to pressure you into using its AI assistant/search engine," writes Engadget, "and another trying to keep you on its default (which you probably wanted if you installed Chrome in the first place).

"Big Tech's battles for AI and search supremacy are turning into obnoxious virtual shouting matches in front of users' eyeballs as they try to browse the web."

Or, as Lifehacker puts it, "If Microsoft really wants to increase the number of users turning to Bing for its search results, it needs to prove that there's a real reason to switch. And these malware-like ads aren't the solution."

Any sufficienty annoying ad is ...

[davidwr]

... indistinguishable from malware.

Re:

[quonset]

Considering Chrome can be installed without admin rights, it's malware.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

So according to your definition... Any portable program is malware? Any ClickOnce program is malware? And Java webstart (is that still a thing?) program is malware? Any PWA is malware?

Re:

[CaptQuark]

Considering Chrome can be installed without admin rights, it's malware.

Firefox, Opera, Brave, 7zip, etc can also be installed without admin rights, but just like Chrome, only for the current user.

Any program that can be installed for all users or programs that need to modify the registry in areas that need admin access will request permissions to do so. If permissions aren't given, then they install a version for only the current user.

Re: Any sufficienty annoying ad is ...

[drinkypoo]

What a coincidence, Windows itself is spyware.

The next step is to

[jasonw61]

take over storage of your passwords, and payment methods, from Google.

While using edge of course, on Android.

Maybe this time..

[derplord]

EU should fine Microsoft billions of dollars every month until they stop this shit or force them to be split.

Re:Maybe this time..

[antdude]

Not EU. The whole world!

Just use Firefox

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only is it better for your privacy, it's good for the health of the web.

Bing keeps giving me the "censor dog"

[xack]

Its guard rails are too sensitive, so i just use stable diffusion instead.

Elinks is still going strong. Go caveman.

[Seven Spirals]

I've gone mostly back to text mode. So much of the bullshit on the web doesn't work when running Elinks. It's still under heavy development and it runs on all the platforms I care about (ie.. the ones many of you guys don't even remember). As the web gets more and more impressed with itself, I get less and less amused and my solution is to go primitive and stay there.

Re:Antitrust

[gtall]

The difference is that in the intervening years, MS has co-opted the government and gotten it hooked on their malware. So even if some gov. agency decided to put the reins back on MS, the rest of the gov. would be trying to subvert that effort. Look no further than the "deal" MS did with DoD to standardize on their malware.

Meh...

[jenningsthecat]

When their OS itself behaves so much like malware that it's hard to differentiate them, it's no surprise that even Microsoft's ads look like malware.

They _are_ malware

[gweihir]

Maybe a bit slower in doing damage than usual, but much more thoroughly.

Windows is Adware

[jdawgnoonan]

Windows has become Adware. The lock screen on my Windows Professional licensed machine recommends that I try Candy Crush. People are getting harassed by Microsoft when opening the alternate browser of their choice. Windows is like the ghetto of operating systems.

Re:

[thegarbz]

The lock screen on my Windows Professional licensed machine recommends that I try Candy Crush.

The fact that this is a default aside, why do you have this on? Your UID implies you know how to setup a computer, leave the masochism for the bedroom and turn that setting off:
Settings > personalisation > lock screen > get fun facts, tips, tricks and more on the lock screen

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

Ever think it’s maybe a corporate machine and the user doesn’t have permission to change anything?

Re:

[techno-vampire]

IMAO, that's the only valid excuse for any Slashdotter to use Windows for anything except gaming, and even that should only be done in a VM. Anyone posting here that runs Windows on bare metal on their own computer should be ashamed of themselves.

Re:

[jdawgnoonan]

Exactly. I spend as little time in my Windows VM as I can. It is strictly there for the AVD client.

Re:

[sconeu]

Some software (*cough*ExamSoft*cough*) looks for a VM and refuses to run inside one.

Given that ExamSoft is required for many college level exams, that's a serious restriction.

Re:

[jdawgnoonan]

Actually I only run Windows in my house in a VM. It is Windows for ARM running under a Pro key. I only use it for some things at work and spend minimal time with it. Actually, I had never noticed that this was on my Lock Screen until yesterday when I was unlocking the VM. Still, that Microsoft has that as a default setting in their OS proves to me that it is only worth using if I have to use it. Basically I only run a VM of Windows so that I can run the Windows version of the Azrure Virtual Desktop client s

Re:

[TwistedGreen]

You don't like the fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen?

Then open lock screen settings and uncheck "Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen" now!

Also make sure you "personalize your lock screen" by choosing a local photo instead of using "Windows Spotlight." Protip: Use a screenshot of a "blue screen of death" as your lockscreen and scare the shit out of your work's IT department.

It's shameful that Microsoft enables this crap by default, but at least they give you the opti

Fuck Microsoft and Google

[Ritz_Just_Ritz]

Use Firefox or Chromium instead and switch to Linux or MacOS.

I haven't felt the need to use Chrome or Windows for years.

Ein folk, Ein Software, ein Operating System

[Hey_Jude_Jesus]

YMMV. IMHO.

Brave browser

[christoban]

I use Brave and haven't seen anything like this. It is 100% compatible with all Chrome plugins.

All spyware all the time

[Required Snark]

Bing and Google search continuously collect data about you. So does Windows. Focusing on a specific dumb-ass fight between the two for-profit surveillance companies is a distraction from the real issue.

Dup

[markdavis]

What is it with Slashdot and duplicates? We just hashed out this whole topic yesterday

https://it.slashdot.org/story/... [slashdot.org]

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

Gross incompetence? Lack of actual material from unique submissions? Could be both.

they are

[groobly]

They are malware.

How does it resemble malware?

[twocows]

I looked at the pictures on the linked article as well as the Reddit post the article links to. It doesn't really look like malware to me, it just looks like an ad. For that matter... what exactly is malware supposed to look like? A lot of malware doesn't look like anything. Maybe a ransomware prompt? But this doesn't really resemble that.