Microsoft accused of Malware-like Bing Wallpaper app

[demarq]

If you can’t trust Microsoft with a wallpaper app, should they be trusted with the whole operating system?

[baranul]

It's amazing that Microsoft even needs to stoop to that level against their own paying customers. People either like Edge and Bing, or they don't. Often, people are forced to use Windows, relative to office, jobs, or school. There is already a "captive" audience, so the need to push malware and spyware acting code is ridiculous.

Installing all of this unwanted code behind their users backs is not making a strong case to continue to use Microsoft. Instead, people will jump to alternatives as soon as its more viable.

Increasingly easy jump, that various people can make, is to the Android OS. There are increasingly, customized open-source "distros" that can be installed. Prime OS, Bliss OS, Phoenix OS... Particularly for laptops, as many already are using it on their smartphones, so will be quite familiar and comfortable with it.

Then there are the Linux distros aimed at Windows OS users, like PoP! OS, Linux Mint, etc... Microsoft is likely to find itself with increasingly diminished market share, with such unnecessary antics and continual privacy issues.

[netsharc]

Indeed...

Article says: > It is rather sad to see that Microsoft is implementing behaviors in some of its apps that is generally only found in malware apps.

Mate, have you seen their OSes?

Though I've found it's trivial to change Win10 to the Enterprise license, where it's possible to disable more of its telemetry.

[archerx]

I have disabled windows 10 updates because of their behavior, no way in hell will I ever use windows 11.

What is Microsoft thinking? If they can’t get windows right why would I put my business in Microsoft’s hands with Azure?

[bertman]

Better, more comprehensive article:

https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/26/bing_wallpaper_app/

[MortyWaves]

I thought that Windows 10 or 11 Explorer/desktop settings had the ability to get a “photo of the day” for the desktop background?

Or is that only for the Lock Screen

[rahkiin]

‘It would be annoying to consistently push people to using Bing, so lets detect whether they are already using Bing in a browser by decrypting cooking.’

Instead of, you know, not pushing Bing

[486sx33]

I actually really like bing wallpaper content. It’s unfortunate Microsoft has screwed up the rest of it so bad

[kevincox]

On GNOME one been using https://github.com/neffo/bing-wallpaper-gnome-extension and it doesn't seem to contain any malware.