DENVER — Consumer advocates are sounding the alarm about Microsoft's plan to pull automatic support for Windows 10, which provides security and other updates to the software.
“We do think that forcing users to pay to keep support or else risk a security threat is a little bit exploitative and not fair to customers who have purchased Windows 10 computers that still run completely fine,” said Easton Lane with CoPIRG, a consumer advocacy group.
In an open letter to Microsoft, CoPIRG called on the company to extend support, as it believes the move will impact 400 million computers. The group estimates 43 percent of computers running Windows 10 cannot upgrade to Windows 11 due to strict hardware requirements.
Microsoft said PCs will still work without the updates, and recommends upgrading to Windows 11. The company is offering extended security updates until October 13, 2026, for $30.
CoPIRG believes the percentage of users who will pay for the update is marginal, leaving millions of computers at risk for ransomware attacks and other security risks.
The advocacy group points to the 2017 “Wannacry” ransomware attack, where bad actors preyed on Windows 7 users whose support system was discontinued. Hackers stole the personal information of users and demanded payment for it to be returned. Over 200,000 computers were affected.
“So that's kind of what's at stake here," Lane said. "If you continue using Windows 10, the longer you do it, the more likely it is that you could experience a crippling security threat."
Over 590 businesses and elected officials have signed CoPIRG’s letter, hoping to put enough pressure on Microsoft to continue security support for free.
Microsoft will discontinue support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14.
