I haven't seen these first hand, but several tech blogs are reporting that Microsoft has begun advertising on the Windows 10 lock screen. In this case, a full screen image from Rise of the Tomb Raider appears to be overlaid with a few links, like we used to see on the Bing homepage (except that this seems to launch the Windows Store app).
Image Credit: David McGavern via Twitter
One key thing to note, though, is that Microsoft allows you to disable these. If you go to Settings -> Personalization -> Lock screen, you can flip “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen” to off. It also doesn't appear to be targeted based on your personal information, although that is difficult to tell with a sample size of 1. In that case, however, where the ad is located would be fairly irrelevant.
Personally, I'm not too upset. Microsoft allows an easy, safe opt-out, although the option could be better labeled. Regardless of the number of people who block the ads, the part that matters is how intrusive they are. If the setting continuously reverts, or it moves to Group Policy, the registry, or worse, then it could be a problem. (Or, of course, if it sacrifices usability, performance, or security.)
The last part is an interesting note. I've read a few comments that are concerned about it being an attack vector for malware. They seem to assume it must be, but not necessarily (relative to other theoretical attacks, like Microsoft.com itself getting hacked). It looks like everything is served directly from Microsoft, and the functionality is severely limited. It could be done right, but yes, it's possible that they could be tricked in the future into providing a malicious link (just like they could be tricked into hosting a malicious app at the Windows Store itself). They mostly depends on the volume and type of ads they plan to integrate into the OS, and where.
Windows Store brings me to my personal concern — antitrust.
Governments have been more permissive about this issue than they were two decades ago. Back then, the integration of web browsers and media applications were cause for litigation. Now, companies like Apple are able to ship OSes that disallow third-party browsers (beyond just reskins of Safari). (Update: Feb 26th @ 8:48pm – There was a bit of confusion. I am referring to iOS, specifically. Mac OSX allows full third-party web browsers. The example was referring to how iOS is legally treated compared to how Windows XP/Vista/7 was.) Again, Microsoft needed to put a browser ballot in Windows XP, Vista, and 7, yet, when Windows RT launched, they would completely ban any web browser unless it used Internet Explorer's Trident engine. Think about that direction shift for a moment.
I wouldn't accuse Windows Store of having a dominant stance in digital distribution market share, but it definitely has unique exposure within the OS. This could become a growing concern, especially if Microsoft progresses with their initiatives. At the same time, several other platform owners are doing the same thing (pretty much all of them). Should we place boundaries on this behavior? If so, what and how?
Really? What a little whinny
Really? What a little whinny jackoff that David whatever is. Its a pretty cool lock screen picture and if you don’t like it in the upper right hand corner you can tell them you don’t and it wont show any more like that. Go back to that horrible Mac OS please. I will stick with the best OS in Windows 10.
Yeah, it doesn’t look that
Yeah, it doesn’t look that egregious. Looks very nice actually.
Miss the point much,He
Miss the point much,He shouldn’t have to do any thing.
The point of this article
The point of this article apparently flew over your tiny head.
Or they fully understand, but
Or they fully understand, but don't care.
yeah I have to agree with
yeah I have to agree with you. I would think this is pretty early on in adoption for them to start pulling in your face shady crap already. and they wanted copr’s to adopt this OS. I seriously doubt they will. I am hoping this who OS as a service thing falls on its face like metro did.
don’t fresh installs come
don’t fresh installs come with that turned off anyway?
at any rate, easy fix.
I don’t know that I think
I don’t know that I think it’s the worst thing ever, but if someone pays $199 for a brand new license of Windows 10 Professional (not an upgrade for “free” from prior version) this should *not* be on by default, and there should be at least a two or three step process in order to “opt-in” to this sort of advertising.
this is what im saying…i
this is what im saying…i think this is an OEM default on thing.
I’ve yet to see this on any of the upgrades either.
I only use Windows for my
I only use Windows for my gaming PC, but I wish they would spend more time getting Win10 up to Win7’s level of stability.
This is why I have become a
This is why I have become a Linux user. I refuse to use Windows for anything I don’t absolutely have to use it for. (Such as playing Tomb Raider) Fedora 23 is so good that it makes Windows 10 look like a total pile of crap.
Anyone that thinks that
Anyone that thinks that putting ads on an operating system is ok is a sheep with a red tag on their ears.
Hey guess what you braying assholes, YOU’RE the reason the world is turning to shit. Stop being led around like a donkey for god’s sake and grow a backbone.
I love comments like this,
I love comments like this, you are probably running ADroid on your phone and you can’t even see the hypocrisy of your post by running an OS by the most evil AD company there is.
Please, please point out the “”AD”” on that picture? I fail to see any type of advertisement. I guess the whale picture on my lockscreen is advertising for whales? what a dolt.
i have a flip phone from
i have a flip phone from 2005. try again.
Even if someone was using
Even if someone was using Android (based on the Linux kernel) there’s many different ROMs available and you don’t even need a single Google application/service to use Android.
Also there’s AdAway which removes advertisements system-wide.
What other options are there exactly?
The failing Windows phone that will inevitable be dropped as it’s no longer holding more than 2% market share, or perhaps a completely closed option like iOS?
I find it very hard to believe you’re not just a paid Microsoft shill
My friend, U have no clue
My friend, U have no clue about Android. Based on your comment i guess u need to read a lot. As far as AOSP is alive, android is fine. ur comment will become valid the day (not far :D) android goes fully closed source.
“Windows Store brings me to
“Windows Store brings me to my personal concern — antitrust.”
The mere truth of the matter is that Apple is not forcing it’s closed OS/Hardware ecosystem on any third party PC/Laptop OEM’s, so people are free to by into Apple’s closed ecosystem or to avoid Apple’s products! But M$ on the other hand is trying to force its closed Hardware/software ecosystem onto the third party OEM PC/laptop market and onto hardware that M$ does not even make, or brand under its own name! It’s easy to avoid Apple’s closed garden, but anyone in the market for a third party OEM produced PC/laptop is pretty much stuck with M$, and with M$’s windows 10(for new third party PC/Laptop hardware), and other windows OSs before(on new third party PC/Laptop hardware), on the so called independent third party PC/laptop hardware for sale in the US.
M$ even being allowed to bundle their OS with any third party PC/Laptop OEM hardware has been the dictionary definition of ANTITRUST for a few decades NOW! M$ has turned the third party PC/Laptop OEMs into De Facto M$ divisions with its OS on most new third party OEM PC/Laptop hardware with its windows OS lock-in over these decades, a definite illegal action at forcing a vertical market integration onto, and sometimes in concert with some, third party OEMs.
Scott, it’s more than the current windows store antics from M$ that smack of antitrust, its that decades long bundling of M$ OSs onto the third party PC/Laptop OEM’s products that is such an illegal monopolistic tactic to force that illegal vertical market integration onto the third party PC/laptop market! M$ controls all that is not Apple on PCs/Laptops, with Linux getting very little OEM support on new hardware sold in the US marketplace. What has the US Justice Department Antitrust division been over the decades to enforce the antitrust laws already on the books!
The US government’s inaction has tacitly allowed M$ to become an unregulated public utility that supplies the OS to almost the entire independent third party PC/Laptop market, with M$ allowed too much control over the end users’ PC/laptop hardware! Hardware that M$ does not directly make or brand under its own name.
Microsoft is so comically
Microsoft is so comically evil it’s hilarious.
They’re such a scumfuck company, it makes me sick just using Windows 7 to play some of my games.
I’m usually not in favor in government intervention but I hope some EU court or SOMEONE takes these crooks to court and parts the whole damn company into pieces.
by all means format your
by all means format your disk.
I hardly use W7 as is, pretty
I hardly use W7 as is, pretty soon I won’t even have to directly use that PoS.
Thanks for the advice though:^)
As well as formatting his/her
As well as formatting his/her disk should we also be asking companies that take our personal information if they use Windows 10? You know just in case their IT staff hasn’t locked it down sufficiently.
you know this is the second
you know this is the second place i have read this but each time i check
Lock screen i cannot see
“Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen” to off.
guess im ok then?
Dirty dirty dirty. Opt-out
Dirty dirty dirty. Opt-out advertising, what a joke. They’re just waiting for enough people to leave it on by default that they can remove the option to opt-out and turn Windows 10 into an OS as a service like Xbox is. Microsoft might as well keep doubling down though. Anyone who hasn’t decided to walk away from Microsoft already is likely to take whatever is given to them anyways so they’re not going to lose much customer base now.
of course lets all rant and
of course lets all rant and rage with no 1st hand knowledge of the issue.
Yeah, it’s definitely not
Yeah, it’s definitely not like W10 isn’t a massive heaping pile from every viewpoint anyway.
There’s no need to stick your face in a pile of shit when you can clearly smell it from a mile away, but if you’d like to do so then by all means continue
This is the internet.
This is the internet. Pointless ranting and raving without facts, is kind of a hallowed tradition of internet social structure. 🙂
Absolutely disgusting.
Absolutely disgusting.
If you chose “custom” on the
If you chose “custom” on the Win X setup screen, and turned EVERYTHING off that M$ had ON by default, you will not see the ads.
It appears only if you chose “express” setup; this gives M$ unfettered access to everything you type. look at, u/l, d/l, etc.
“Hey, if Google can do it, so can we!”, says M$….
Why is Google allowed to do
Why is Google allowed to do it then?
Google is not trying to force
Google is not trying to force its closed ecosystem on any hardware that users purchased without Google’s OS installed while M$ is trying to force users of its previous OSs, and on new PC/Laptop Hardware to be windows 10 only!
M$ has a monopoly over the non Apple/non Google third party PC/laptop OEM OS supply chain, and before windows 8/10 OSs, users of 7 did not have any of that spy-ware OS features, or terrible TIFKAM nonsense to worry about. M$’s is trying to force its new closed ecosystem model on users that only purchased M$’s OS based Third Party OEM hardware in the past because they were trying to avoid the Apple/Google style closed software ecosystem model.
Now that M$ is going full Apple/Google to the Nth degree with its closed ecosystem model, those users of 7 will have to be careful with any new M$ updates in an attempt to stay spy-ware OS free, and many users are expressing interest in moving to a Linux distro. A more disturbing occurrence is that M$ is even giving the PC/laptop OEMs the “Option” of not including a windows secure boot OFF switch in the device’s UEFI/BIOS for devices that come with windows 10 factory installed, so users who want to install a Linux distro will not be able to unless they get a Linux Distro with the secure boot keys singed by M$ for the Linux build! M$ will be locking third party PC/laptop hardware onto the M$ controlled Secure Boot key signing authority, so it’s going to get very hard to install any user’s personal Linux builds on the user’s PC/Laptop hardware, if that hardware originally came with windows 10 installed!
M$ is planning to gradually and insidiously slip more of this closed ecosystem/ad nonsense onto its windows 10 OS, while continuing to deny that M$ is going towards fully locking the users of third party OEM manufactured PCs/laptops into M$ very closed ecosystem! Having an Open Full Linux Build will be the only way for users to avoid the closed ecosystem model now that M$ is going to the Apple/Google business model. I Hope that there will be some future Steam OS Based laptops or I will have to give up getting any new Laptops from now on, unless there are still some windows 7 based devices to be had, or even some windows 8/8.1 pro laptops with 7 downgrade rights.
A lot of retailers are ruining their remaining laptops stock of 7 and 8.1 based laptops by installing windows 10 on them, so even those laptops will not be sold, because users are not going to accept the EULA on windows 10, and allow M$ to take over their laptops, or PCs!
LOL what a bunch of BS.
LOL what a bunch of BS. Google is way worse in trying to force their ADS down your throat. Its unbelievable how idiots try and justify that evil ad company because of “free stuff!!111!!!!” meanwhile they are grabbing every ounce of data they can to serve you ads and take your personal information for profit.
I do not see Google trying to
I do not see Google trying to force it’s way onto my third party OEM produced windows 7 laptop, with me having to only install M$ windows 7 updates that are clearly marked as for security only, so I can keep that windows 10 crap off of my hardware! You only get forced ads from Google if you use their OS, or sign into Google’s services, which I do not do! It’s easy to avoid Apple’s and Google’s OSs on new PC/Laptop hardware, but M$ is supplying just about the entire market for the OSs on third party produced OEM PC/Laptop hardware. When M$ realizes its ultimate windows 10 GOAL, you will see Apple/Google style spyware/ad pushing from M$ to the Nth degree above Apple/Google with the spyware and ad pushing baked into the windows 10 OS and software ecosystem, and by virtue of you signing away your rights with the M$ windows 10 EULA, M$ will have the rights to lock your hardware down to their M$ brand of ball and chain!
It’s the forcing onto the third party OEM produced PC/Laptop hardware of the M$ windows 10 closed ecosystem that is the point of contention of the post you replied to, and not what Apple/Google are doing with their easily avoidable closed hardware/software ecosystems! People are going to be without much options unless the Steam OS/Vulkan ecosystem can prosper on both PC/Laptops, because M$ intends to use its Secure Boot, and other market share illegal monopolistic tactics to keep the third party OEM produced PC/laptop hardware wedded to the M$ windows 10 OS ecosystem! Just watch out for any new hardware that comes with windows 10 factory installed, be sure to see if the device can have M$ windows secure Boot Disabled, as there will be an OEM “Option” that some OEMs will take that optional brown envelope payment from M$ and NOT provide any M$ windows Secure Boot OFF switch in the device’s UEFI/BIOS!
One simply needs to see how much Apple and Google make from their closed ecosystems with much less PC/Laptop OS market share than M$, to see that M$ does not care about the hardware owner’s rights, M$ only cares about those M$$$$$! It’s really time to support Steam OS/Vulkan ON PC/Laptops, Gabe was Damn right when he decided to launch Steam OS!
LOL what a bunch of BS.
LOL what a bunch of BS. Google is way worse in trying to force their ADS down your throat. Its unbelievable how idiots try and justify that evil ad company because of “free stuff!!111!!!!” meanwhile they are grabbing every ounce of data they can to serve you ads and take your personal information for profit.
–Google is not trying to
–Google is not trying to force its closed ecosystem on any hardware that users purchased without Google’s OS installed
—
ever seen a fking chromebook?
ever tried to install another OS on a chromebook? OH BOY!!!!!
Why by a chromebook ever, and
Why by a chromebook ever, and the item you Quoted says “Without”, so Google is not trying to force its OS/latest OS onto my third party OEM produced laptop that came with windows 7. ChromeBooks are a Google branded device, I do not buy Branded devices, I buy third party OEM PCs/Laptops that can run a variety of OSs, and are not bound to any Ad Pusher’s OS ecosystem, and that includes M$’s windows 10 and its ad pusher closed ecosystem!
The independent OEM PC/laptop market is under siege, and now even M$ is scroogle times 10 to the 10th power!
Maybe Google is allowed to do
Maybe Google is allowed to do it because Google isn’t an operating system.
They own multiple OSes.
They own multiple OSes.
True but when you look at the
True but when you look at the OSes Google develop one has such a tiny market share that it doesn’t even get recorded by the two main bean counters and their other OS only has a significant market share on mobile devices that despite Microsoft’s claims are (arguably) used very differently.
Microsoft is not an Operating
Microsoft is not an Operating System, either.
Strictly speaking that’s true
Strictly speaking that’s true but they do have an operating system that up to now has been used on 90% of desktop computers that are often used for processing highly confidential information.
All the people that like to compare what Microsoft are doing with the likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, and other companies fail to understand that none of them have a major presence with companies that handle private or confidential information and there are reasons they don’t.
Well there you have it! It
Well there you have it! It says right there, that it’s not an ad; it’s “fun facts, tips, BUT WAIT! THERE’S MOOOOOOORE!!!”
It’s all in the interpretation, right? 😉
as someone that was windows
as someone that was windows then switched to linux for a few years and then came back to windows during the 7 era…
I made the switch to Windows 10 and have no complaints. 7 has all the spyware too…
I ditched anything sensitive from OS’s long ago. Yes they are watching, so what, they’ve been watching for a long time.
Lock screen? Please… no point locking this computer with passwords… security settings are all off
Windows is for entertainment and entertainment only… just like the ipad
none of this bothers me as a tax paying employee of the machine
I still use keypass that is in the cloud and encrypted
That’s just a LOT of
That’s just a LOT of double-spaced sponsored double-speak with your move to Linux and back to 7! AND M$ will have all your Keys in its cloud, so you encrypted data is belong to M$!
you are joking… i came back
you are joking… i came back from from linux, doesn’t mean i’m dumb
this is in my toolbox:
Hide-OneDrive-From-File-Explorer.zip
Remove-Folders-From-This-PC-on-Windows-10.zip
64-bit_Remove_All_user_Folders_in_This_PC.reg
and then there is this
http://www.howtogeek.com/224798/how-to-uninstall-windows-10s-built-in-apps-and-how-to-reinstall-them/
only thing i’m upset about is i got tricked into giving them an email address for microsoft store to try some none MS apps. I removed it but i know they logged my email to my guid. They already had my email from my 360.
I use a free dropbox account for my keepass DB. M$ wouldn’t want a keypassDB anyways.
You have no idea how this profiting off of you works…
BTW… Amazon is the new King if you are prime user.
Enjoy your eternal game of
Enjoy your eternal game of privacy whack-a-mole, as with each windows 10 forced update there will be more hidden settings to track down and configure to the OFF position, if that can even be done for all the baked in windows 10 spyware! Your signing that windows 10 EULA allows M$ WAY too Much control over your hardware/personal files than should be allowed from a company that only supplies the OS part of the PC/laptop parts list on most “Independently” produced third party OEM PC/laptops produced for the US marketplace!
M$ has been doing the classic Standard Oil Trust forced vertical integration of the so called independent third party PC/Laptop OEM for decades, and the Standard Oil illegal Trust(Monopoly) was the benchmark for the anti-Trust laws that have been on the books for over 100 years! I do not Know about You, but I purchased my Laptop From a third party OEM, and not M$, so I’d expect that M$ should not be using my third party produced laptop as a continuing source of revenue by forcing its way illegally with the third party PC/Laptop OEMs to bundle its OS land grab onto most new third party OEM PC/Laptop hardware, with users having little options otherwise for alternative OS choice!
If Microsoft wants to sell an
If Microsoft wants to sell an ad-subsidized, low cost operating system and there are consumers who want to buy one, fine.
My complaint is, where is the “I do real work on this operating system and need you to treat it accordingly” edition? Looking at the list of Windows 10 editions, I don’t see any with a “no ads displayed” or “your content is kept confidential” check mark.
I can only assume large enterprises are automatically exempted or have a way to make that happen with one angry call to their sales rep. I do not imagine any big corporation wants every one of their employees being enticed to entertainment experiences during office hours. (Or if not — I can’t wait til competitors start buying targeted full screen ads telling employees to come work for them instead, or heck why not have China take out full screen ads on DoD computers announcing willingness to pay cash for secrets?)
What about the smaller guys?
enterprise companies are
enterprise companies are logging all your emails, websites you visit, and IMs. If you have a phone give to you by your work they are logging the numbers & texts too.
If you have something to hide… don’t get on the web. How easily you guys are forgetting Edward Snowden
MS is just doing what everyone else is doing, providing a free service. Expect them to push to monetize the experience.
Don’t like it, go to Linux. But the Govt is still logging everything
Indeed good sir, let’s all
Indeed good sir, let’s all lay down and let it happen. Self-determination is overrated anyway. Viva la surrender.
no where in the parent post,
no where in the parent post, did OP say ANYTHING about “letting it happen” or opine on the concept of “self-determination”.
viva la bitch all over the
viva la bitch all over the internet.
I really wish you guys on
I really wish you guys on this site would let it go. You all really seem to have a grudge against Redmond. Did you even RESEARCH this or just take some idiots tweet as gospel? Because it seems that way.
http://mspoweruser.com/no-microsofts-windows-10-not-feature-lockscreen-ads/
DEBUNKED.
That story does not dispute
That story does not dispute this lock screen at all. It even admits it is an ad, despite having the rest of the story trying to claim its not really an ad.
So 0 debunking of facts, with a different spin on how offensive or not those ads are.
Your DEBUNKED is DEBUNKED.
If I remember correctly the
If I remember correctly the “Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen” was mentioned at the Microsoft Build conference last year and only applies to the home edition.
I’m running the pro version that I upgraded from 8.1 and don’t even have that option under the lock screen settings to turn on or off.
The only thing I get is suggested apps on the start menu and I can turn them off with a right click on it.
I am amazed how windows 10
I am amazed how windows 10 lovers complain these little things and ignore the big picture. Windows 10 is a service and your PC belongs to Microsoft.
You accepted the Microsoft EULA and did not read it. Now deal with it.
Windows 10 = a part windows 7 + a part Windows 8.1 + a part awesome
That is according to Microsoft’s ad.
part awesome = Malware/Spyware/Adware + large amount of data-collection
Windows 10 is the last Windows service that you are going to have from Microsoft.
I can list each issue but the list is going to be very long. When you combine many small issues, then it could became a very annoying big issue.
Although you have many options but I would not tell you anything more.
Enjoy your windows 10!
The issue of this “type” of
The issue of this “type” of behavior is a bit more nuanced than whether it should be allowed or not and what can be done in response, of course. This type of behavior speaks to a greater issue. An issue that is a by-product of American economic ideals and, more importantly, the Technological Illiteracy of our society as a whole. An illiteracy possessed by both the governing and the governed.
While the owner/operators and audiences of websites like PcPer are an exception to this, they are but a small subset of the overall population. A very small subset. Moreover, as evidenced by some the comments on this article alone, an even smaller percentage of this subset actually possess the necessary skills required to answer the difficult questions being posed during this Technological Revolution in which our society currently finds itself, that would be of benefit to society in the long run.
The question should be, “What can we do to better educate ourselves, and more importantly, better educate those governing us, on these issues?” We are dangerously close to falling into a situation, where the blind will be leading the blind.
The technology business of
The technology business of the past 40 years in NO Different from the OIL business of the last 4 decades of the 19th century! Bill Gates and M$ have many parallels with John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust until people realized that the John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil market tactics where not so fair market related or good for consumers! Both John D. and Bill Gates got in early, and employed questionable market tactics once that got Monopoly market share of their respective markets. Bill Gate’s M$ DOS was not any better than CP/M or other OSs at the time, and it was just that Gates was able to grab hold of IBM’s coattails and ride the nascent PC clone market that came into being after IBM started the whole PC business going on an economy of scale! And Bill Gates rode that market to OS domination! John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Trust used some of the same methods to lock in the independent oil producers, the very same way that M$ does, and has been doing, with the independent PC/Laptop OEMs for decades!