Chrome users on Windows 11 have noted new pop-up ads from Microsoft, asking them to switch to the Bing search engine as default.
The intrusive pop-up spotted by various sources advertise Microsoft’s AI-unfused solution, in a way that’s pretty reminiscent of malware pop-ups.
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“Chat with GPT-4 for free on Chrome! Get hundreds of daily chat turns with Bing AI”, the notification reads. “Try Bing as detailed search – easy to switch back. Install Big Service to improve chat experience.”
The pop-up invites users to say “yes” or “no”.
According to a report from Engadget, clicking yes will summon a Chrome pop-up asking if you want to switch your default search provider. If you attempt to switch back, Microsoft will advise users to “stay with Microsoft Bing.”
The idea of a Chrome user switching from Google Search within a Google-made browser is quite amusing really, but God loves a trier, hey Microsoft?
Thankfully, if you say “no” to Microsoft’s fishing exercise, you won’t see the notification again, according to a Microsoft spokesperson.
“This is a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome,” Caitlin Roulston, told The Verge. “We value providing our customers with choice, so there is an option to dismiss the notification.”
Microsoft had been advertising Bing to Chrome users last year, but had paused the practice because of some issues. Now it’s back with a vengeance.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
