6 ms·

I got a Windows Notification the other day while playing a game telling me about a "Grand prize giveaway" Nope, not malware. Just Windows. https://i.imgur.com

I got a Windows Notification the other day while playing a game telling me about a "Grand prize giveaway" Nope, not malware. Just Windows. https://i.imgur.com/xVstzqc.png https://i.imgur.com/xVstzqc.png https://www.reddit.com/r/microsoft/comments/15u6gx8/windows_now_has_popup_notifications_advertising/ https://www.reddit.com/r/microsoft/comments/15u6gx8/windows_...

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
> I got a Windows Notification the other day while playing a game telling me about a "Grand prize giveaway" By my exp, I'd wager it was a third party using Windows' baked-in nag system, via Chrome. That is, you've got a bit of crapware in Chrome that is sending notifications and Chrome cheerfully forwards them to Windows. I see this on customer systems with some regularity. Degrading a user's experience seems to be one place where MS and Google are happy to cooperate.
- stetrain 3y ago
  No, it was a Microsoft Rewards promotion. Something I don’t recall opting into. https://promos.microsoftrewards.com/US/en/SS/88/rules https://promos.microsoftrewards.com/US/en/SS/88/rules Edit: Chrome isn’t even installed, I use Firefox.
  - nightski 3y ago
    Yeah Microsoft Rewards is super annoying, and I'm not sure who even actually engages with it. But if you want to use windows you can remove MS rewards from your account and the notifications stop [1]. [1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-opt-out-of-microsoft-rewards-ff4eb882-ad54-aa47-1f84-dc9c45a0bd20 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-opt-out-of-...
    - matkoniecz 3y ago
      How often this setting is reset by Windows to default value?
      - nightski 3y ago
        It’s not a windows setting.
    - ketralnis 3y ago
      IMO "you can turn that off" is absolutely not an acceptable answer to this stuff. It's my computer and it shouldn't be doing anything that I didn't specifically tell it to do. And that's not even to mention how often these setting are reset, or new "settings" added
      - nightski 3y ago
        It’s not an answer, I was just letting them know it exists.
  - WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
    > No, it was a Microsoft Rewards promotion. Something I don’t recall opting into. Cool. I appreciate you solving the mystery.
jjoonathan 3y ago
First party malware.
tivert 3y ago
> I got a Windows Notification the other day while playing a game telling me about a "Grand prize giveaway" > Nope, not malware. Just Windows. Yeah, I got one the other day promoting some game or game studio. Honestly, there outta be a law. We don't need this kind of "innovation."
- thfuran 3y ago
  We should ban advertising with only very narrow exceptions.
  - falcolas 3y ago
    No exceptions, particularly when it comes to your operating systems. Apple does it. Canonical does it. Windows does it. Google does it (kinda a duh, I agree). Stop this madness.
    - rendang 3y ago
      I think parent meant ban all advertising - buses, billboards, TV, etc
      - thfuran 3y ago
        Yes, I mean all advertisement, with exceptions like being able advertise on a business's own premises or upon explicit request like signing up for a newsletter (on purpose, not due to dark pattern fuckery). But no jamming third party advertisements everywhere imaginable or first party advertisement into products that aren't just ads.
        tivert 3y ago
        Honestly, I'd take a slightly different tack: ban all advertising except that which focuses on product features (like a lot of old-timey ads did), and then have strong enforcement of penalties for false advertising. Then limit innovation in delivery to places where it's both not intrusive and already established (e.g. media publications, etc). The manipulation and excessive proliferation has to stop, but I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a business being able to reach out to tell people about what they're selling. There just needs to be strong regulation to speak for other interests in society.
Maken 3y ago
> Nope, not malware. Just Windows. So, it was indeed malware.
pjc50 3y ago
I wonder if this counts as an "illegal lottery": https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/page/free-draws-and-prize-competitions https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/gui...
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  Highly unlikely. For starters, it's not paid-to-enter.
Azrael3000 3y ago
And then they wonder why people fall for scams.
labrador 3y ago
You look at Windows Notifications? I don't because they're worthless. I disabled widgets. I don't use Edge. Marketing and other BS is hardly on my radar anymore and my Windows 11 experience is a good one.
MrMember 3y ago
I have completely turned off notifications in Windows because I think they're worthless and recently Windows itself has started ignoring that setting and sending me ads through notifications.
- coffeeling 3y ago
  Turn off notifications for the Suggested app. It's the bullshit spout.
appleflaxen 3y ago
Wow. That's incredible!

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago

> I got a Windows Notification the other day while playing a game telling me about a "Grand prize giveaway" By my exp, I'd wager it was a third party using Windows' baked-in nag system, via Chrome. That is, you've got a bit of crapware in Chrome that is sending notifications and Chrome cheerfully forwards them to Windows. I see this on customer systems with some regularity. Degrading a user's experience seems to be one place where MS and Google are happy to cooperate.

stetrain 3y ago
No, it was a Microsoft Rewards promotion. Something I don’t recall opting into. https://promos.microsoftrewards.com/US/en/SS/88/rules https://promos.microsoftrewards.com/US/en/SS/88/rules Edit: Chrome isn’t even installed, I use Firefox.
- nightski 3y ago
  Yeah Microsoft Rewards is super annoying, and I'm not sure who even actually engages with it. But if you want to use windows you can remove MS rewards from your account and the notifications stop [1]. [1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-opt-out-of-microsoft-rewards-ff4eb882-ad54-aa47-1f84-dc9c45a0bd20 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-opt-out-of-...
  - matkoniecz 3y ago
    How often this setting is reset by Windows to default value?
    - nightski 3y ago
      It’s not a windows setting.
  - ketralnis 3y ago
    IMO "you can turn that off" is absolutely not an acceptable answer to this stuff. It's my computer and it shouldn't be doing anything that I didn't specifically tell it to do. And that's not even to mention how often these setting are reset, or new "settings" added
    - nightski 3y ago
      It’s not an answer, I was just letting them know it exists.
- WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
  > No, it was a Microsoft Rewards promotion. Something I don’t recall opting into. Cool. I appreciate you solving the mystery.

jjoonathan 3y ago

First party malware.

tivert 3y ago

> I got a Windows Notification the other day while playing a game telling me about a "Grand prize giveaway" > Nope, not malware. Just Windows. Yeah, I got one the other day promoting some game or game studio. Honestly, there outta be a law. We don't need this kind of "innovation."

thfuran 3y ago
We should ban advertising with only very narrow exceptions.
- falcolas 3y ago
  No exceptions, particularly when it comes to your operating systems. Apple does it. Canonical does it. Windows does it. Google does it (kinda a duh, I agree). Stop this madness.
  - rendang 3y ago
    I think parent meant ban all advertising - buses, billboards, TV, etc
    - thfuran 3y ago
      Yes, I mean all advertisement, with exceptions like being able advertise on a business's own premises or upon explicit request like signing up for a newsletter (on purpose, not due to dark pattern fuckery). But no jamming third party advertisements everywhere imaginable or first party advertisement into products that aren't just ads.
      - tivert 3y ago
        Honestly, I'd take a slightly different tack: ban all advertising except that which focuses on product features (like a lot of old-timey ads did), and then have strong enforcement of penalties for false advertising. Then limit innovation in delivery to places where it's both not intrusive and already established (e.g. media publications, etc). The manipulation and excessive proliferation has to stop, but I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a business being able to reach out to tell people about what they're selling. There just needs to be strong regulation to speak for other interests in society.

Maken 3y ago

> Nope, not malware. Just Windows. So, it was indeed malware.

pjc50 3y ago

I wonder if this counts as an "illegal lottery": https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/page/free-draws-and-prize-competitions https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/gui...

ceejayoz 3y ago
Highly unlikely. For starters, it's not paid-to-enter.

Azrael3000 3y ago

And then they wonder why people fall for scams.

labrador 3y ago

You look at Windows Notifications? I don't because they're worthless. I disabled widgets. I don't use Edge. Marketing and other BS is hardly on my radar anymore and my Windows 11 experience is a good one.

MrMember 3y ago

I have completely turned off notifications in Windows because I think they're worthless and recently Windows itself has started ignoring that setting and sending me ads through notifications.

coffeeling 3y ago
Turn off notifications for the Suggested app. It's the bullshit spout.

appleflaxen 3y ago

Wow. That's incredible!