Windows is changing the way apps can access your Microsoft account. Currently, when you sign in to Windows 11 or 10 with your Microsoft account, most apps automatically use that Microsoft account for in-app sign-in. The tech giant plans to change this behaviour by allowing you to decline access to Microsoft accounts in installed apps.
↫ Mayank Parmar at Windows Latest
This change, like so many others that are making Windows ever so slightly less of a trashfire, is EU-only.
Remember folks, any time someone is forcing you to do something you don’t want to do, and refusing to take “no” for an answer, they do not have your best interest at heart. If they didn’t have a nefarious and malicious agenda, then they would back off and respect your personal space.
Best course of action when you find yourself in a relationship that works like the above, is to get as far away from them as possible.
This is an outcome we’ve discussed in the past.
Our corporations may finally be deciding that the EU’s progressive stance on privacy and owner rights are no longer going to shape their policies more broadly. Microsoft’s EU customers can get a compliant version of windows 11, but no one else. Apple EU customers can get a compliant iphone, but no one else. This may mark the end of the EU’s influence as a key player for consumer rights world-wide. If so, we’re back to relying on our own local governments to do almost nothing to discourage their abusive practices.
Well, I guess outside the US, you can still decline signing into your MS account, and use a unique local account instead. Even if they are trying to hide the option.
Carewolf,
As I understand it, both the internet and an MS account are officially required to install windows 11.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/24/22548480/windows-11-home-internet-connection-set-up
https://www.pcmag.com/news/installing-windows-11-pro-to-require-internet-connection-microsoft-account
While it may be possible to drop to the command prompt and execute commands to bypass it, microsoft’s intentions are clear and most users will end up being compelled to comply.
Does anyone know if these ms account requirements are different in the EU? Or if there are plans to drop them for future versions of windows?
I wonder how easy is it to buy European gray market licenses in the US? Alas it probably wouldn’t help since almost all pre-built computers are sold with the microsoft tax even if you already have a legit license – this practice should have been outlawed decades ago.