Microsoft’s strategy of implementing advertising reaches Windows help desks, weather applications or configuration settings. Criticism of this invasive strategy is growing again.
For everything, Microsoft’s strategy of including ads in its operating systems is well known and it seems that far from remitting, it is getting better.
Recently, a new source of annoyance for users has emerged: Microsoft Teams ads that appear when they try to get help. This strategy of promoting features, products and services has once again raised criticism of the company.
When users open the “Get Help” app in Windows 10, seeking assistance for their PC issues, they come across a banner ad sobre Microsoft Teams Essentials.
This banner includes a link to the application’s web page, and although they can be manually rejected, these ads appear in the form of a pop-up window by clicking the “Get Help” button.
These intrusive tactics by Microsoft are annoying to users because they interrupt their workflow and can distract them from their main goal of fixing their PC. Those looking to troubleshoot their PC probably don’t want to be shown ads. de Microsoft Teams.
The way the promotional banner is laid out is also problematic, as it appears to display the same Teams Essentials ad, regardless of settings and theme in which the user is located.
Remove unwanted ads from Microsoft
Fortunately, there are solutions to remove these unwanted ads. One option is to turn off the “Allow apps to use your advertising ID” option in Windows 10 privacy settings.
This will prevent Windows 10 from using the user’s advertising ID to display ads targeted, including Teams ads.
Another alternative is use third-party tools, although this can be unreliable and cause additional problems on the computer. The most recommended option is to turn off Microsoft Store ads in general, which is accomplished through your Windows privacy settings.
As soon as to Microsoft, it does not seem that the criticisms are going to make it change its strategy. These unwanted ads are not an isolated case. Quite the contrary in the past months, the company has introduced more promotional content in other applications, such as Settings or the weather application in Windows 11.
