As a regular Windows user, ads constantly popping up like weeds in the Start menu is nothing but annoying. However, brace yourself, because recent events at Microsoft are about to make things worse.
Windows 11 preview build 23435, recently released to the Dev channel, may seem innocent at first glance, but it is actually Microsoft’s attempt to force users to subscribe to its products and services. This disregard for privacy and user choice should be alarming and terrifying, a cautionary tale for all of us.
As a staunch defender of data privacy and privacy, I am deeply appalled by this move by Microsoft. Not only do we have to put a ton of advertising in our operating system, but we are now forced to contend with the efforts of tech giants to advertise their products.
If you’re a privacy junkie like me and prefer to have full control over your device, don’t worry because there are things you can do to take back your autonomy. First, you can choose to switch from a Microsoft account to a local user account, which limits the number of ads shown in the Start menu and offers greater control over your data.
Alternatively, you can consider a third-party Start Menu replacement, such as Start10 or Classic Shell, which offers a more traditional Start Menu without annoying ads.
At the end of the day, the decision to stick with Microsoft’s advertising tactics or not is entirely yours. However, for those of us who value the privacy and independence of our data, it is important to be vigilant and take proactive steps to protect ourselves.