Microsoft has silently slipped a Firefox extension onto user machines via an automatic software update. Again.
This week, as part of its regular Patch Tuesday, Redmond released an update for its various browser toolbars, and as Ars Technica noticed, this update also installed an entire add-on for Internet Explorer and an extension for Mozilla Firefox – without asking users. Ars was unable to identify the installs, but Microsoft now says that the update was installing the latest version of its Bing toolbar on machines that were running the older Windows Live Toolbar or MSN Toolbar.
The company says it has now, um, updated the update, and the silent toolbar install no longer occurs. The company calls the silent install “a bug.” More...
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Why would the folks from Redmond do something like this? Do they really think the public is that unaware? I am glad I ended my six year run with FireFox a few weeks ago when Chrome 5 for Mac came out of beta.
The Mozilla group is rightfully angry at Microsoft for secretly installing this add-on. The Redmond crew should be ashamed.
The Mozilla group is rightfully angry at Microsoft for secretly installing this add-on. The Redmond crew should be ashamed.
John H. Armwood
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