Microsoft has once again decided to utilize pop-up windows in the Google Chrome browser in an effort to redirect users to the Bing search engine. This move, reminiscent of actions taken by malicious software, was first introduced last year when the pop-up notifications could appear on top of other applications and windows. Despite temporarily halting this practice due to “unintentional behavior” of the notifications, the pop-up windows have resurfaced on Windows 10 and 11 operating systems.
Recently, Windows users have reported encountering new pop-up windows within Google Chrome that promote Bing artificial intelligence and the Microsoft Bing search engine. Upon consenting to these notifications, Microsoft automatically sets Bing as the default search engine for Chrome. Some Windows users have expressed concerns about the potential harm posed by these notifications and questioned their authenticity.
Microsoft has confirmed that the pop-up notifications were intentionally designed to be displayed only once. According to Communications Director Kaitlin Rowlston, the notification offers users the option to set Bing as the default search engine in Chrome. Additionally, the pop-up window provides Windows users with more features for use in Copilot. Rowlston emphasized that Microsoft values offering choices to customers and has included an option to decline the notification.
Despite Microsoft’s intentions to offer choices to Windows users, many are calling for a more convenient way to permanently disable the pop-up windows. The company’s various methods of promoting Bing and Edge make it challenging for users to avoid these notifications through system settings.
Over the years, Microsoft has actively utilized pop-up advertisements in Chrome, Windows tasks, and other locations to promote its own services. Past tactics have included coercing users to switch to Edge following Windows updates, often through full-screen messages prompting the transition to Bing and Edge.