this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
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Microsoft's official "Bing Wallpaper app" does some nasty, malware-like things to Windows (www.techspot.com)
submitted 1 month ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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The app automatically installs Bing Visual Search and includes code to decrypt cookies saved in other browsers, Rivera said, and it also brings a "free" geolocation web API to the system.

The developer discovered "many" nasty tricks Microsoft integrated in Bing Wallpapers, which include trying to change the browser's settings and set Edge as the default system browser. If the default browser isn't Edge, the app will open the default browser after some time asking to enable the previously installed Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome extension.

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[–] TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Every time I see stuff like this it makes me slightly glad they got laughed out of the smart phone game. Can you imagine if a Microsoft mobile OS became a serious third between Android and iOS? I mean, those two aren't great by any stretch of the imagination (and are probably doing or planning similar shit), but Microsoft is just going gloves off at this point.

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 4 points 1 month ago

If there was more competition they (probably) wouldn't be doing this stuff as people would leave.

[–] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I was actually a fan of Outlook for Android. Followed system dark mode before it was cool, had real multi account inbox, good wearos app, and other useful features. Then they started inserting Bing search into my long press menu system wide. And also recommending Edge when I clicked links. This kind of horizontal integration is just too baked into the company DNA. They can't help themselves, even when it actually harms them

[–] TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah. On my work desktop, our IT people have told us to not use the Outlook program but rather to just go to the website. On my phone, I run it in Vivaldi instead of the app (which is a little jankie, but not as bad as it was running in Chrome or Firefox).

[–] computergeek125@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What's the difference between horizontal and vertical integration? (I know a few business words but usually not enough to be intelligent, this is a genuine question of confusion)

[–] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Vertical would be if MS owned the carrier, the manufacturer, the operating system etc. Horizontal applies here where they own many interconnecting parts of the same layer of the market. Search, browser, email, etc, all being used to promote each other at the expense of competitors