Microsoft Urged To Extend Support Period For Windows 10

Microsoft is asked to extend the Windows 10 support period (photo: dock. unsplash)

JAKARTA Consumer Reports, a consumer-oriented nonprofit organization, urged Microsoft to continue to support Windows 10. This pressure comes ahead of the support that will be discontinued.

The company plans to stop providing free security updates for Windows 10 users starting October 14. According to Consumer Reports, this action will cost millions of consumers.

This insistence was conveyed through an official letter addressed to Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella. Consumer Reports states that stopping security updates will make millions of consumers who do not have compatible machines for Windows 11 neglected.

They highlight that many devices that are still functioning properly will become vulnerable. According to data quoted by Consumer Reports, about 46.2 percent of users worldwide still use Windows 10 as of August this year.

This amount is equivalent to 200 to 400 million PCs that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 due to hardware limitations. This condition makes users in a difficult position.

In his letter, Consumer Reports called Microsoft's policy "municious". The reason is, the company encourages customers to upgrade to Windows 11 for cybersecurity, but on the other hand, they let Windows 10 devices become vulnerable.

This raises great concerns among consumers. The agency also criticized the cost of 30 US dollars or around Rp.492,000 charged by Microsoft for the extension of Windows 10 security support for one year.

They considered that Microsoft was charging a fee for something that should be the user's right. In addition, they also highlight a free choice of support that forces users to switch to other Microsoft products.

As an effort to support old consumers, Consumer Reports asks Microsoft to continue providing free support. This step is considered important so that more users can update their operating system (OS).

This is in line with a petition submitted by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). PIRG, as reported by The Verge, stated that the termination of this support would be equivalent to the disposal of 400 million computers that could not be updated to Windows 11, but still functioning.