To protect Windows users against purchasing rogue, unnecessary software, Microsoft will takes measures against cleaners and optimization software that use alarming, coercive messages to scare customers into buying a premium version of the same program. According to the software giant, there is an increase of applications that make use these scare tactics.
The software is usually free to download and when used, it finds all kinds of issues that need to be solved. Using alarming messages, users feel pressure to buy a premium version of the software, to fix the issues.
Microsoft will therefore update it's evaluation criteria for unwanted software.
"We use the evaluation criteria to determine what programs are identified as malware and unwanted software. In the future, programs that display coercive messaging will be classified as unwanted software, detected, and removed," Microsoft's Barak Shein explains.
The new policy will take effect from the 1st of March this year and applied by Microsoft's security products like Windows Defender or Security Essentials.
