Microsoft Starts Inserting Ads Into Chrome Browser For Promoting Bing, Edge


Radhika Kajarekar

Radhika Kajarekar

Mar 20, 2024


Microsoft is urging people to switch to Bing, the company’s search engine, by displaying pop-up advertisements on Google Chrome once more.

Microsoft Starts Inserting Ads Into Chrome Browser For Promoting Bing, Edge

Microsoft Urging People To Switch To Bing

These pop-ups first arrived on Windows 10 and 11 last year, and they have since reappeared. The new pop-ups promote Microsoft’s search engine within Google Chrome as well as Bing AI. Users who select “yes” at the prompt will have Bing set as Chrome’s default search engine.

Some users have compared these pop-ups to malware and expressed doubts about their legitimacy. 

According to Microsoft, the pop-ups are real and should only show up once. According to Microsoft’s Director of Communications Caitlin Roulston, customers have the option to make Bing their default search engine by selecting it from the pop-up.

Roulston likened the notification to providing Windows users with benefits like increased chat turns in Copilot. Microsoft gives users the opportunity to reject the notification, indicating that they value having choices.

Critics wonder if Microsoft is really giving customers an option, or if it’s just using marketing ploys to promote its own services. It can be difficult for some users to escape these alerts by modifying settings, which may indicate that Microsoft is giving its services priority over user preferences.

Microsoft Runs Advertisements To Push Bing

Beyond Chrome pop-ups, Microsoft also runs advertisements in other places, such as the Windows taskbar. After Windows upgrades, there have been cases where Microsoft forced users to switch to its Edge browser.

Following system updates, Microsoft also shows full-screen ads urging users to switch to Edge and Bing.

Microsoft came under fire earlier this year when its Edge browser began automatically importing tabs and browsing history from Chrome without asking permission.

Concerns over user privacy and permission related cross-browser data sharing were brought up by the issue. Microsoft’s vigorous marketing of Edge and Bing begs concerns about how it views user choice and competition.

Some consumers want more control over their software experiences because they are irritated by Microsoft’s constant advertising of its services. Opponents contend that Microsoft ought to give users’ preferences top priority and make it easier for users to choose not to receive promotional messages.

The ongoing discussion brings to light the difficulties in striking a balance in the internet industry between consumer choice and corporate interests.


Radhika Kajarekar
Radhika Kajarekar
  • 791 Posts

Subscribe Now!

Get latest news and views related to startups, tech and business

You Might Also Like

Technology
Sep. 8, 2022

Samsung Launches The Wall All-In-One and Flip Pro: Is This The Future Of Display Technology?

Samsung has launched The Wall All-In-One – the modular MicroLED it says is revolutionizing the future of display and the Flip Pro, which is an interactive display. Both were unveiled at the InfoComm India 2022 which is India’s Professional AudioVisual (Pro AV) and Systems Integration Technology Exhibition. This took place in Mumbai from September 5-7. […]

Technology
Jul. 28, 2022

Google Street View Launches In India Across These 10 Indians Cities! Plans To Expand To 700,000 Kms, 50 Cities In 2 Years

Google’s Street View is finally available in India a decade after it was prevented from capturing data for its Street View services. Second coming Street view offers a 360-degree interactive panorama feature initially for 10 Indian cities with data from local partners Tech Mahindra and Mumbai-based Genesis International. Its entry into India is facilitated by […]

Technology
Jul. 10, 2022

This Electricity-Free Cooler Developed By IIT Researchers Can Replace Air Conditioners! How It Work?

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati researchers have built a ‘Radiative Cooler’ which does not require electricity to operate. This is an affordable and efficient ‘passive’ radiative cooling system that can serve as an alternative to ACs. The coating material is an electricity-free cooling system that can be applied in the rooftops and functions during both […]

Technology
Jun. 27, 2022

This New Battery Will Enable Electric Cars To Run 1000 Kms In Single Charge! Will This Transform Electric Mobility?

Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) has developed a battery that gives EVs a driving range of over 1,000 km or 621 miles on a single charge. About the company The company is China’s leading automotive lithium-ion battery maker. Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW, and Nio are among the companies for which CATL supplies batteries. […]

Recent Posts

Related Videos

   

Subscribe Now!

Get latest news and views related to startups, tech and business

who's online