Enshittification: Difference between revisions

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'''[[Microsoft Windows]]:'''

*Forced Microsoft account sign-in. ~~Starting~~ with Windows 10 and further enforced in Windows 11, ~~preventing~~ offline use and ~~increase the~~ telemetry ~~data~~ collection.

*Forced Microsoft account sign-in.

*Built-in ~~advertisements~~. Despite ~~Windows~~ being a ~~paid-for~~ software, ~~the OS will contain~~ advertisements in the ~~start menu~~, lock screen, notifications ~~about~~ Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Edge, and ~~more~~. Even ~~if disabled~~, ~~ads will reappear with the following OS update~~.

Beginning with Windows 10 and further enforced in Windows 11, Microsoft increasingly requires users to sign in with a Microsoft account during setup. This restricts offline use, obscures the option to create a local account, and facilitates expanded telemetry collection and ecosystem lock-in.

*Dark patterns in applications. Edge ~~will always ask~~ to become the default browser, warnings ~~about~~ switching away. OneDrive ~~prompts dialogues to "protect~~ your files~~" which require a upload~~ to ~~the cloud with a OneDrive account~~. ~~Applications~~ often ~~do not have~~ a ~~"never~~ ask ~~again" button~~, only ~~"Try~~ for ~~free"~~ or ~~"maybe later" such~~ as in Microsoft365.

*Built-in advertising in a paid operating system.

*Increased telemetry. Telemetry ~~settings~~ are ~~always~~ enabled by default ~~and they provide~~ limited ~~ability~~ to disable ~~them~~.

Despite being a commercial software, Windows includes advertisements and promotional content in the Start Menu, lock screen, system notifications, and settings panels, used to promote Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Edge, and other services and other proprietary software. Even when users disable these features, they are frequently re-enabled after major updates.

*~~Forced~~ updates. ~~Updates~~ cannot be permanently disabled~~, you~~ can only ~~disable them~~ for up to 4 weeks~~. The OS will force the download as soon as possible when the countdown timer has expired~~.

*Dark patterns in bundled applications.

*Bundled software bloat. ~~Preinstalled~~ Microsoft applications that ~~aren't vital~~ to ~~the functionalities of the~~ OS and ~~do not request the user~~ if ~~they should be added~~.

Microsoft applications repeatedly nudge users toward Microsoft-preferred choices. Edge persistently prompts users to become the default browser and displays warnings when switching away. OneDrive frames cloud uploads as “protecting your files,” obscuring the fact that local folders are being redirected to Microsoft’s servers. Subscription prompts often lack a clear “Never ask again” option, offering only choices such as “Try for free” or “Maybe later” as in Microsoft365.

*~~Search degradation~~. The search ~~files menu~~ has ~~degraded~~ over ~~the years~~ in ~~favor of searching online with Bing~~ to ~~provide more advertisements as web results~~.

*Increased unavoidable telemetry.

Telemetry and diagnostic data collection are enabled by default, with only limited controls available to disable or reduce them—particularly in non-Enterprise editions. Some data collection is mandatory and vaguely documented, undermining informed consent.

*Loss of user control over updates.

Windows updates cannot be permanently disabled through standard settings. Users can only defer updates for a limited period (up to four weeks), after which downloads and installations are often forced, sometimes causing unexpected restarts or re-enabling previously disabled features without user consent.

*Bundled software bloat.

Windows ships with numerous preinstalled Microsoft applications that are not essential to core OS functionality. These apps are installed without explicit user consent and may reappear after major updates even if previously removed.

*Degraded local search in favor of web search.

The start menu and file search experience has progressively gotten worse, blending local results with Bing web searches. This often prioritizes online content and advertisements over fast, predictable local file and application discovery, reducing usability in order to promote Microsoft’s search and advertising ecosystem.

===Video Games===

@@ Line 99: / Line 99: @@
 '''[[Microsoft Windows]]:'''
-*Forced Microsoft account sign-in. Starting with Windows 10 and further enforced in Windows 11, preventing offline use and increase the telemetry data collection.
+*Forced Microsoft account sign-in.
-*Built-in advertisements. Despite Windows being a paid-for software, the OS will contain advertisements in the start menu, lock screen, notifications about Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Edge, and more. Even if disabled, ads will reappear with the following OS update.
+Beginning with Windows 10 and further enforced in Windows 11, Microsoft increasingly requires users to sign in with a Microsoft account during setup. This restricts offline use, obscures the option to create a local account, and facilitates expanded telemetry collection and ecosystem lock-in.
-*Dark patterns in applications. Edge will always ask to become the default browser, warnings about switching away. OneDrive prompts dialogues to "protect your files" which require a upload to the cloud with a OneDrive account. Applications often do not have a "never ask again" button, only "Try for free" or "maybe later" such as in Microsoft365.
+*Built-in advertising in a paid operating system.
-*Increased telemetry. Telemetry settings are always enabled by default and they provide limited ability to disable them.
+Despite being a commercial software, Windows includes advertisements and promotional content in the Start Menu, lock screen, system notifications, and settings panels, used to promote Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Edge, and other services and other proprietary software. Even when users disable these features, they are frequently re-enabled after major updates.
-*Forced updates. Updates cannot be permanently disabled, you can only disable them for up to 4 weeks. The OS will force the download as soon as possible when the countdown timer has expired.
+*Dark patterns in bundled applications.
-*Bundled software bloat. Preinstalled Microsoft applications that aren't vital to the functionalities of the OS and do not request the user if they should be added.
+Microsoft applications repeatedly nudge users toward Microsoft-preferred choices. Edge persistently prompts users to become the default browser and displays warnings when switching away. OneDrive frames cloud uploads as “protecting your files,” obscuring the fact that local folders are being redirected to Microsoft’s servers. Subscription prompts often lack a clear “Never ask again” option, offering only choices such as “Try for free” or “Maybe later” as in Microsoft365.
-*Search degradation. The search files menu has degraded over the years in favor of searching online with Bing to provide more advertisements as web results.
+*Increased unavoidable telemetry.
+Telemetry and diagnostic data collection are enabled by default, with only limited controls available to disable or reduce them—particularly in non-Enterprise editions. Some data collection is mandatory and vaguely documented, undermining informed consent.
+*Loss of user control over updates.
+Windows updates cannot be permanently disabled through standard settings. Users can only defer updates for a limited period (up to four weeks), after which downloads and installations are often forced, sometimes causing unexpected restarts or re-enabling previously disabled features without user consent.
+*Bundled software bloat.
+Windows ships with numerous preinstalled Microsoft applications that are not essential to core OS functionality. These apps are installed without explicit user consent and may reappear after major updates even if previously removed.
+*Degraded local search in favor of web search.
+The start menu and file search experience has progressively gotten worse, blending local results with Bing web searches. This often prioritizes online content and advertisements over fast, predictable local file and application discovery, reducing usability in order to promote Microsoft’s search and advertising ecosystem.
 ===Video Games===