Kaspersky Accuses Microsoft Of Unfairly Disabling Its Antivirus Inwards Windows 10

Russian antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab is together with then upset amongst the US software giant Microsoft that the safety trouble solid has filed to a greater extent than antitrust complaints against the company.

The antivirus trouble solid initially filed a lawsuit slow final twelvemonth against Microsoft amongst Russian Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS) over alleged abuse of Microsoft's dominant seat inwards the desktop marketplace seat to force its ain antivirus software amongst Windows 10 together with unfair contest inwards the market.

Microsoft ships Windows 10 amongst its ain safety software Windows Defender, which comes enabled it yesteryear default amongst the operating system.

While Microsoft has made some changes inwards Windows Defender since the initial complaint, Kaspersky Lab is non satisfied amongst the changes, filing to a greater extent than antitrust complaints against the software giant, this fourth dimension amongst the European Commission together with the High German Federal Cartel Office.

Kaspersky Accuses Microsoft of Unfair Competitive Practices

The antivirus trouble solid told European antitrust regulators that Microsoft prevents third-party safety software vendors from competing on equal basis amongst software products built into the ubiquitous Windows operating system.

"Microsoft uses its dominant seat inwards the figurer operating organisation marketplace seat to fiercely promote its own—inferior—security software (Windows Defender) at the expense of users' previously self-chosen safety solution," says co-founder Eugene Kaspersky inwards a blog post.

Kaspersky claims that Microsoft removes its antivirus software from the Windows operating organisation when users upgrade their systems to Windows 10, together with enables its ain Windows Defender anti-virus solution.

What's fifty-fifty more? Kaspersky also claims that Redmond doesn't supply plenty fourth dimension to fully exam its latest Windows 10 upgrades inwards gild to ensure that its existing software is compatible amongst the OS.

Kaspersky also says that Windows 10 generates the pop-up dialogue boxes when users endeavor to run third-party antivirus software. One of its users told Kaspersky that when he upgraded his PC to Windows 10 together with contacted Microsoft back upward squad nearly the disappearance of safety software, a back upward worker replied amongst this:

"Windows 10 is incompatible amongst third-party antivirus. It is a shame that you lot demand keep spent coin on a Kaspersky Lab product, only you lot ca non reinstall it without running the run a peril of the appearance of novel bugs."

In its statement, Kaspersky Lab said European antitrust regulators that "these actions yesteryear Microsoft Pb to a lower flat of protection for users, a limitation on their correct to choose, together with fiscal losses both for users together with safety solution manufacturers."

While Microsoft has regularly been improving its Windows Defender software to protect its users (even those who demand keep never installed whatsoever anti-virus software on their systems), Kaspersky argues it is anti-competitive.

"We desire Microsoft to halt misleading together with misinforming our—and non entirely our—users," concludes Kaspersky. "We desire to view all safety solutions beingness able to function on the Windows platform on a flat playing field. And nosotros desire to view users beingness able to create upward one's demand heed for themselves what they desire together with consider of import to them."

Microsoft Said It's Their Duty to Protect Windows Customers

In render to this issue, Microsoft released a statement, maxim the fellowship reached out to Kaspersky Lab afterwards the initial electrical load filed inwards Nov 2016, only that no words betwixt the ii had exchanged together with then far.

Microsoft also believes Windows 10 complies amongst contest laws, expressing confidence that it tin persuade contest watchdogs that the fellowship had done goose egg wrong.

"Microsoft's master copy objective is to proceed customers protected. We are confident that the safety features of Windows 10 comply amongst contest laws. And nosotros volition respond whatsoever questions regulators may have." 

"We're ever interested inwards feedback from other companies, together with nosotros engage deeply amongst antimalware vendors together with demand keep taken a number of steps to address their feedback. We reached out straight to Kaspersky a number of months agone offering to come across straight at an executive flat to meliorate sympathize their concerns, only that coming together has non yet taken place."

Although Kaspersky considers Microsoft's motility to enable its ain anti-virus software yesteryear default on Windows 10 unfair, having a built-in complimentary antivirus tool inwards this historic menses of information breaches together with cyber attacks is real useful for users who can't buy, or don't buy, a expert antivirus for their PCs.

However, it's however to live seen what European Union regulators create upward one's demand heed to create nearly this matter.

Share This :