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from the of-course-my-software-is-safer dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Microsoft has turned on a new set of Windows Tips that inform Chrome and Firefox users on Windows 10 that Edge is a "safer" browser. We reached out to Microsoft to find out how long this latest recommendation has been active. "This wave of Windows Tips for Windows 10 users began in early November," a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat.
If this sounds familiar, that's because Microsoft turned on similar Windows 10 tips back in July, warning Chrome/Firefox users about battery drain and then recommending Edge instead. Those notifications were on the battery icon in the operating system, while this new one is on the Edge icon:
[...] The battery drain "tip" was timed with Microsoft's battery-savings campaign for Edge, and this security one is no different. NSS Labs compared the security of the three major Windows browsers and unsurprisingly — Microsoft has a long history of asking NSS Labs to do a study in which its browser comes out on top, though it claims this one wasn't commissioned — Edge won in a particular metric. That's where the "It blocks 21% more socially engineered malware" part from the notification comes from.
See a previous related article Here [soylentnews.org]
Would you change your software based on a recommendation like this?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by driven on Sunday November 27 2016, @04:01AM
IMO, not much more deceptive than Chrome opening a "Sign in to Chrome" tab automatically even though it's completely unnecessary and optional.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by boltronics on Sunday November 27 2016, @07:13AM
I use Firefox for Android on my phone, and doing a web search just today with Duck Duck Go I didn't get the results I wanted so tried Google (by retrying the query with DDG's !g switch). I received a friendly message from Google that I should use Google's search app instead because it is apparently much easier than Google's competitor Firefox, according to the manufacturer of said app. Gee, thanks Google. So glad you're competitive with Microsoft in this.
It's GNU/Linux dammit!
(Score: 2) by arslan on Monday November 28 2016, @01:25AM
Product placement vs. Security claims. Quite different... don't you think?
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Sunday November 27 2016, @11:30AM
At least that's promoting a feature of a browser you've actually chosen to use, as opposed to your OS vendor lying/misleading to promote its commercially preferred software that you haven't.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 27 2016, @11:45PM
Windows is a choice. [windowschoice.com]
(Score: 3, Funny) by requerdanos on Monday November 28 2016, @03:17AM
Yes, of course it is. But choosing Windows as an operating system doesn't automatically mean that you will also choose to run every piece of software, good or bad, that its manufacturer blesses as "preferred by Microsoft".
I frequently run GNU Bash at my shell prompt, but that doesn't mean that I also choose to run GNU Emacs. Never seen it recommending same, either.
Well, yes. Based on such a recommendation, I wiped Windows off my laptop after it was force-upgraded to Windows 10 "for my own good" and installed Debian. I even peeled off the "Windows 7" logo sticker and bought and installed a Debian sticker.
My laptop has not given my any such foolishness ever since, joining my other computers in this regard.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 27 2016, @10:09PM
Because I didn't ever think the Chrome register was only optional, I have *NEVER* used Chrome (past opening it, reading the notice and immediately closing the application; followed by 'uninstall').
I daily pity people trapped by their workplaces or 3rd party software (accounting packages like MYOB) and who are forced to use Windows 10.