Microsoft admits Windows is deactivating antivirus in response to complaint

Software maker Microsoft has admitted that it has deactivated third-party antivirus software in Windows 10. According to Microsoft, the deactivation was necessary because the software was no longer compatible after an update.

In a lengthy blog post, Microsoft explains how it works with companies that make antivirus software. That Microsoft is deactivating third-party antivirus software after an update is something that Kaspersky put forward in its complaint against Microsoft before the European Commission.

According to Microsoft, some users do not update the antivirus software after an update of Windows, which is necessary. Then Microsoft disables the competitor’s software. Kaspersky argued in the complaint that notifications to perform the update are hidden too much, preventing users from seeing them. Microsoft does not address that element.

The relationship between Microsoft and antivirus makers is precarious, as the American software company wants to promote its own Defender as a way of securing Windows PCs. Kaspersky has repeatedly urged the European Commission to take action against Microsoft over the bundling of Defender and Windows.

Microsoft was previously under fire for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. Opera, Mozilla and Google then filed a complaint with the European Commission. This led to the setting of a mandatory browser selection screen and ultimately to a fine of 561 million euros for not fully complying with that requirement.