Microsoft is testing ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer

[Emerson67 248]

That's right! FILE explorer!

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-is-testing-ads-in-the-windows-11-file-explorer/

[SKEWR 364]

Yikes!!!

I'm tired of ads. YouTube ads that come on in middle of watching something (or even worse when listening to music or rain sounds). Twitch ads that pop up that can't be skipped (up to NINE of them). Different streaming services online that send ads while watching a show... I'm sure YouTube (Google) and Twitch (Amazon) aren't hurting for revenue but they are sure acting like it.

Now... Windows ads? I habitually ignore ads as they are a nuisance. Already on Edge, I can tell that its reading what I search for as suddenly my ads are flight/airline related. I really don't want to open File Explorer in the near future and see a giant ad "Navigate your way to better Power Point presentations" or "Pilots hate him because of this one simple Word trick! Click here!"

There ARE ways to get around ads and, yes, I employ those tactics, but it looks like there is no limit to where they will try to stick an intrusive ad (or even worse, malware disguised as an ad). Some have said you can disable the ads in Win 11, but IMO, if ads are embedded in your OS, they are on, running and collecting your information all the time... you just can't see them; and its been that way for awhile now. It's just getting more obvious.

[RichieFly 729]

More here.

I wouldn't sweat it.

[Nuno Pinto 1,397]

Adblocker. I don't even browse the web without them, and i go the extra mile as to develop my own for sites that insist in blocking my adblocker. It's garbage and i wouldn't buy anything suggested anyway, so they're useless to me and usually ruin the webpages.

[109Sqn 1,564]

14 hours ago, RichieFly said:

More here.

I wouldn't sweat it.

Quote

“This was an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off,” says Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager for Windows, in a statement to The Verge.

But you don't experiment with something unless you intend to utilise it in the future, so I'd still be concerned.

4 hours ago, Nuno Pinto said:

Adblocker.

Exactly. I also find that Edge's Immersive Reader (F9 key) is handy for hiding ads or, in some cases at least, circumventing GDPR or subscription site blocks. Of course, that's a Microsoft feature, so they could simply remove it in future.🙄 Not sure if there's a third party equivalent.

[RJC68 823]

I have a ProxMox server that I run several virtual machines on, one is an Ubuntu Server running Adguard Home. It blocks ads on every device connected to my network so go on Microsoft do your worst lol