Adware: A new approach

[A Guy]

Here at the Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC) we understand advertising is part of the modern computing experience. However, we want to give our customers choice and control regarding what happens with their computers. To that end we have recently undergone some changes to both the criteria we use to classify a program as adware and how we remediate it when we find it. This blog will help explain the new criteria and how it affects some programs.

Our updated objective criteria also explains how advertising software can provide users with choice and control. Programs that do not follow these rules will be detected as adware and immediately removed from the user’s machine:

Programs that promote a product or service outside of their own program can interfere with your computing experience. You should have clear choice and control when installing programs that open advertisements.

The advertisements that are opened by these programs must:

Include an obvious way to close the ad.

Include the name of the program that created the ad.

The program that creates these advertisements must:

Provide a standard uninstall method for the program using the same name as shown in the ads it produces.

It is important that both developers and our customers understand this criteria. I will look at each of the points individually. But first, let’s look at which programs can qualify as adware.

Source

A Guy

 

[AndyHK]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I would pay extra for an internet with NO adverts !!

 

[Layback Bear]

Great news. Thanks A Guy for posting it.
Thank you Microsoft for taking such action.

 

[King Arthur]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I am unaware of where Microsoft is encouraging users to use something other than Microsoft Security Essentials (7 and prior) or Windows Defender (8 and up).

 

[UsernameIssues]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I am unaware of where Microsoft is encouraging users to use something other than Microsoft Security Essentials (7 and prior) or Windows Defender (8 and up).

See this link:
Microsoft Malware Protection Center - Security Products

Edit: King Arthur only listed two apps. This post/link was meant to expand that list. I think that all of the MS apps listed in that link can now be used to remove adware. This post was not meant to support AndyHK's claim that MS encourages user to use 3rd party solutions. My bad.

 

[Layback Bear]

I don't believe any of those are 3rd party programs.
All those are programs from Microsoft to suite various customers with various needs.

 

[Jonguy30]

This is great news. Hopefully we will begin to see less intrusive ads in software..

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

This is great news. Hopefully we will begin to see less intrusive ads in software..

I'll believe it when I see it!

 

[A Guy]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I am unaware of where Microsoft is encouraging users to use something other than Microsoft Security Essentials (7 and prior) or Windows Defender (8 and up).

Now, Microsoft has said it sees Security Essentials as merely the first layer of protection, advising customers to use additional, third-party antivirus - although the company stressed that wasn't because the product wasn't good enough to stand on its own.

Source

A Guy

 

[derekimo]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I am unaware of where Microsoft is encouraging users to use something other than Microsoft Security Essentials (7 and prior) or Windows Defender (8 and up).

Now, Microsoft has said it sees Security Essentials as merely the first layer of protection, advising customers to use additional, third-party antivirus - although the company stressed that wasn't because the product wasn't good enough to stand on its own.

Source

A Guy

That is that same unconfirmed article that has been removed before.

 

[UsernameIssues]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I am unaware of where Microsoft is encouraging users to use something other than Microsoft Security Essentials (7 and prior) or Windows Defender (8 and up).

See this link:
Microsoft Malware Protection Center - Security Products

I don't believe any of those are 3rd party programs.
All those are programs from Microsoft to suite various customers with various needs.

All of those programs from Microsoft should eventually flag 3rd party programs that present adverts to the user as adware (as long as the ads are presented in a way that MS deems wrong - per the article in the OP).

...or perhaps I got the wrong idea from skimming the content of the article in the OP.

 

[Layback Bear]

Here we go again.

Nicole Kobie says Billy said, Mable heard from Joe's bartender that Microsoft said.
No where can anybody show us or the rest of the world where Microsoft said any such thing.

From post #11

All of those programs from Microsoft should eventually flag 3rd party programs that present adverts to the user as adware (as long as the ads are presented in a way that MS deems wrong - per the article in the OP).

...or perhaps I got the wrong idea from skimming the content of the article in the OP.

I read the whole article thoroughly and all it states in my mind; is you can advertise as much as you want.
Their just some basic new rules that should of been invoked years ago. These new rules are trying to stop the sneaky things that some advertisers do. Most everybody has been complaining about these types of advertising for a very long time.

 

[ThrashZone]

I think they are decent standards.. however given that Microsoft are more or less advising people to use a third party anti-malware solution.. does it matter ?

I am unaware of where Microsoft is encouraging users to use something other than Microsoft Security Essentials (7 and prior) or Windows Defender (8 and up).

Now, Microsoft has said it sees Security Essentials as merely the first layer of protection, advising customers to use additional, third-party antivirus - although the company stressed that wasn't because the product wasn't good enough to stand on its own.

Source

A Guy

Bill Breaking Bad

 

[UsernameIssues]

Layback Bear,
My bad. I now see (or think that I see) where I made an unclear post. I've edited my post here.

 

[Britton30]

Maybe I missed it, but the article Bill posted doesn't mention how MS is doing this.

If they want compliant ads to be clear on who the ad is from and a clear way to close it, they should be more like this.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I realize that ads pay for websites and I don't mind ads that quietly coexist with other data on a webpage—heck, I actually glance at them to see if they are of interest to me—but I draw the line at annoying and distracting animated ads, ads with audio, ones that pop up over the data I went to the website to see, and, of course, the ones pushing dodgy to downright fraudulent products and services and/or are carriers for malware.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Not seeing is believing

This is great news. Hopefully we will begin to see less intrusive ads in software..

I'll believe it when I see it!

I think you may have meant, "I'll believe it when I don't see it."

 

[A Guy]

They don't say no adds. They say the ads will only be for the product creating them. There will be a close button on them. They will say the name of the program creating them. They will have an uninstaller in control panel. They are basically saying they are not the ad police, but the programs have to play be established rules, or they will consider it adware. Now, when MSE, or Defender detects what it considers adware, it will stop the program and give a notification. All this will not effect me as I don't use any MS security programs. A Guy

 

[Layback Bear]

I like this.
They will have an uninstaller in control panel.

 

[UsernameIssues]

I like this.
They will have an uninstaller in control panel.

Hopefully, MS will test to see that it uninstalls the app too.