this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2023
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Is this even legal? (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by Infinitus to c/technology
 

I just got this popup while playing New vegas. I don't even use chrome, i've switched to firefox. How can this be allowed? Also, this is Win10

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[–] [email protected] 159 points 10 months ago (6 children)

If governments actually gave a fuck about antitrust anymore, it would be. 20-ish years ago, they dragged Microsoft to court over simply bundling IE with Windows. It didn't even constantly nag you to set as default; just the fact that it was bundled at all was enough to make it into the sights of regulators.

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[–] [email protected] 102 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Microsoft clearly uses dark patterns and FUD to lure you into using Bing.

As long as they're using legal loopholes (or downright do not care because they have enough money to pay any fines) you cannot do anything against it except not using their OS.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I stopped using outlook entirely for this behaviour. Outlook would embed a bing search in your long press menu on android.

[–] pycorax 11 points 10 months ago (5 children)

What kind of long press menu? I have it installed but don't have any such menu.

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[–] Ddhuud 70 points 10 months ago (3 children)

It's getting REALLY difficult to tell normal operation and viruses apart.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I think you're confusing virus and malware. Windows is malware by definition. I think according to gnu philosophy any proprietary software is malware because features are designed to make profits and not to service the end user.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

Because in all practical senses, windows is a virus.

Viruses at their core are programs which do things against your will on your own machine. Which is bad.

However, that is exactly what windows does. But like the boiling frog, people for some reason are okay with more bullshit from Microsoft and less control of their own devices with every passing update and year.

Complaining on ~~reddit~~ social media does nothing. Switching to Linux gives you back control and will be better for everyone in the long run.

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would this be illegal?

[–] [email protected] 136 points 10 months ago (30 children)

Anti consumer and anti competitive. Using their position as the OS to bug the living shit out of you to use their services

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago (2 children)

According to Rules of the Internet § 12 "if I find something to be annoying, objectionable, or wrong it surely must be illegal."

[–] MotoAsh 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (10 children)

MS literally got in trouble for bundling IE with the OS 20 years ago... This is so much worse.

If you cannot understand why people are rightfully upset... LEARN YOUR FUCKING HISTORY.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 10 months ago (2 children)

One of the many reasons why I will never return to Windows.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I still have to use 10 for work, but on the plus side it's a 5 day per week reminder of just how terrible it is.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 42 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I still don't get how Microsoft got in trouble for bundling internet explorer but now they are completely fine doing this

[–] tb_ 24 points 10 months ago

Anti-trust regulation has gotten very toothless in recent years. The shit many corporations are pulling now is insane when you think back about what happened to ms then.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (8 children)

Since everybody on this comm seem to be circlejerking, let me how to tell you how to get rid of this POS. Shit's called BGAupsell and resides in Windows\Temp\MUBSTemp, set yourself as owner of the file via your admin account and then delete it and replace it with an an empty EXE file that you assign ownership to yourself with. Then you write protect it and you're done. If you just delete the dir or the file, it'll come back next major update.

NOW, to really give MS a punch in the dick, you're also going to want to disable the search menu ad as well:

https://www.howtogeek.com/826967/how-to-disable-bing-in-the-windows-11-start-menu/

And all of you fucking *nux newfargs, grow up. Also, don't fucking drink and root you lusers.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (12 children)

Or you just install Linux and be done with it.

Yes, I am THAT guy. It looks and feels like windows, but prettier, nicer, and better. No more corporate rules bullshit, no more anti virus bullshit, no more bullshit.

Yes, most games do work now.

Yes, most windows software has equal or better alternatives, or run natively through wine.

You don't have to put up with Microsoft bullshit.

Get rid of office, Hotmail and teams while you're at it and get working software.

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[–] xantoxis 35 points 10 months ago (3 children)

What company was it that lost an antitrust lawsuit again? It was something like Macrosoft? Microphone? idr

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It's shit like this that will eventually drive me away from windows. I was baffled when it appeared.

[–] captainlezbian 40 points 10 months ago

As someone who was recently driven, leave it. It’s never going to get better, only worse. And linux is only going to get better the more you understand it.

[–] Armetron 22 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It is because you agreed to to the terms and conditions of the Windows operating system

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[–] TheRealKuni 21 points 10 months ago

“I will make it legal.”

-Darth CEOus

[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (5 children)

Why wouldn't it be legal? You are using their product and they put out a notification on it asking if you want to use one of their products. Why would that be illegal!?

Like I understand people not liking it, but illegal?

[–] Doomsider 19 points 10 months ago

I am pretty sure they are insinuating that it is antitrust violation. It probably is but our current governance seems unwilling to do anything about anti-competitive practices.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago

They got in trouble for setting internet explorer as the default and had to pop a prompt when you installed windows a while ago.

I don't think asking if you want to is illegal though. But it could be as they are using their ownership of the operating system to push you towards their other products.

[–] nostradiel 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Run a debloat script for windows from christitustech. And if you want to start from fresh install w10/11 ltsb/ltsc and run the debloat script, that is the safest option, if you don't want to swap to Linux.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Everything is legal in the US if you can lobby enough

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

Not quite. You can also break the law, pay a fraction of what you grifted, say sorry and then continue.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago

It's only illegal if it's enforced

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (3 children)

"Microsoft rewards points" wtf?

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (18 children)

They lost a trial in this allnd paid a flick on the wrist.

They just so this because they know it will get them more than it will cost.

Install Linux, make the switch. Yes you can.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (7 children)

In Europe it isn't. But I got it too. Even worse, my default browser was changed to Bing after an update.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago

The people at Microsoft who remember the ftc action have retired I guess

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

This shit is why I stopped using windows altogether

[–] Rooty 12 points 10 months ago

Lets just rename this community to MicrosoftTechSupport and be done with it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Since the antitrust laws don’t exist any more, it’s legal, yes. If you don’t want that, you have to switch to Linux.

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