Microsoft removes ‘cleaner software’ that encourages the purchase of premium version

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Microsoft has announced a new policy for Defender and other proprietary security software. From March, those programs will remove so-called “cleaner software” that pressures users to purchase the paid version.

Microsoft reports that it has seen a rise in the number of programs that claim to check a PC for various errors and then use “alarming and compelling” statements to get people to buy the paid version. The company says that these types of programs usually fall into the category of cleaner or optimizer and that it is problematic for users to make unnecessary purchases.

Beginning March 1, Microsoft security products, such as Defender, will automatically detect and remove such programs. The company does this by adjusting the evaluation criteria with which the security software determines whether there is unwanted or malicious software. It writes that it had already introduced new requirements for cleaners in February of last year, requiring them to specify what kind of “errors” were detected and not just display a collection of errors without detail.

The measure may also have an effect on tech support scams, in which criminals impersonate Microsoft employees and try to convince victims that there are problems with their computers.

The definition of unwanted behavior in software, according to Microsoft

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