Microsoft facing more lawsuits over forced Windows 10 upgrades
Microsoft’s aggressive campaign to get customers to upgrade to Windows 10 might have seen the new OS grow in popularity, but the company's approach has, understandably, upset a lot of users. The software giant employed some increasingly sneaky tricks to fool Windows 7 and 8.1 users into accepting an OS upgrade they didn’t want and, inevitably, some unhappy victims are now looking to sue.
The software giant has already paid out $10,000 to a Californian whose PC was ruined by a Windows 10 update, and several US Attorney-Generals are reported to be actively pursuing cases against Microsoft. But on top of that two new lawsuits seeking class-action status have surfaced.
It’s been reported by The Seattle Times, that three men are suing Microsoft in the US District Court in Florida, alleging that "Microsoft’s Windows 10 update prompts violated laws governing unsolicited electronic advertisements, as well as Federal Trade Commission prohibitions on deceptive and unfair practices".
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Richard Chosid, said his clients had been upgraded to Windows 10 without their consent, and that "Microsoft’s marketing scheme falls short of certain protections which must be afforded". Chosid believes damages owed to those upgraded against their will could total tens of millions of dollars.
The software giant’s legal problems aren’t restricted to the US either, as it is also being sued through the district court in Haifa, Israel where it is alleged that installing Windows 10 on users’ computers without their express consent violates Israeli computer law.
In response to the lawsuits, Microsoft says "we believe the plaintiffs’ claims are without merit and we are confident we’ll be successful in court". It also states that "updates to Windows 10 are a choice, not a requirement, and that Microsoft offers free customer support for those who run into trouble. People who update to Windows 10 can roll back to their prior system for 31 days afterward".
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