Microsoft Criticized For Chrome Popup Ads Resembling Malware That Urge Users to Switch to Bing

'Multiple users around the world have started to notice new Microsoft Bing pop-up ads that look a lot like malware...' reports Lifehacker, describing the adds as 'very low quality' and 'extremely pixelated...'

'It's just Microsoft doing a bad job of trying to get you to switch to its products.'

The Register explains:

[W]hile using Google's desktop browser on Windows 10 or 11, a dialog box suddenly and irritatingly appears to the side of the screen urging folks to make Microsoft's Bing the default search engine in Chrome. Not only that, netizens are told they can use Chrome to interact with Bing's OpenAI GPT-4-powered chat bot, allowing them to ask questions and get answers using natural language. We can forgive those who thought this was malware at first glance. 'Chat with GPT-4 for free on Chrome!' the pop-up advert, shown below, declares. 'Get hundreds of daily chat turns with Bing AI.'

It goes on: 'Try Bing as default search,' then alleges: 'Easy to switch back. Install Bing Service to improve chat experience.' Users are encouraged to click on 'Yes' in the Microsoft pop-up to select Bing as Chrome's default search engine. What's really gross is the next part. Clicking 'Yes' installs the Bing Chrome extension and changes the default search provider. Chrome alerts the user in another dialog box that something potentially malicious is trying to update their settings. Google's browser recommends you click on a 'Change it back' button to undo the tweak.

But Redmond is one step ahead, displaying a message underneath Chrome's alert that reads: 'Wait — don't change it back! If you do, you'll turn off Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome and lose access to Bing AI with GPT-4 and DALL-E 3.'

This is where we're at: Two Big Tech giants squabbling in front of users via dialog boxes.

'Essentially, users are caught in a war of pop-ups between one company trying to pressure you into using its AI assistant/search engine,' writes Engadget, 'and another trying to keep you on its default (which you probably wanted if you installed Chrome in the first place).

'Big Tech's battles for AI and search supremacy are turning into obnoxious virtual shouting matches in front of users' eyeballs as they try to browse the web.'

Or, as Lifehacker puts it, 'If Microsoft really wants to increase the number of users turning to Bing for its search results, it needs to prove that there's a real reason to switch. And these malware-like ads aren't the solution.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.