Microsoft will automatically block adware from July 1

Microsoft will let Windows automatically detect and remove adware from July 1. The operating system will then notify users of detected adware and give them the choice to remove or keep it right away.

With the measure, Microsoft wants to give users more control over advertisements that are shown by programs outside their own windows. It also concerns advertisements that are not related to the program itself.

The functionality to let users remove adware stems from the new advertising criteria that Microsoft has established, the company reports on TechNet. One of the requirements is that advertisements must be easier to close, for example by means of a cross. In addition, the name of a window must indicate which program is showing the advertisement.

Microsoft wants to enforce the new criteria by letting Windows check for adware. As soon as a program displays non-compliant advertisements outside its own window, the process in question will be closed and the user will receive a notification. He must then determine whether he wants to remove the program or still want to run it.

According to Microsoft, the new system that must monitor the criteria will come into effect on July 1. This should give developers three months to adapt their software to the new requirements.