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Post: Microsoft gives in to EU pressure: Windows 10 will get free security updates.
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<p><span><b><a href="https://www.redhotcyber.com/post/author/redazione/" target="_blank">Redazione RHC</a>:28 September 2025 09:02</b></span></p>
<p>Microsoft has agreed to address the demands of European human rights activists and extend Windows 10 support to users in the European Economic Area (EEA) without further conditions.</p>
<p>Extended Security Updates <strong>(ESU)</strong> <em>will now be available free of charge, although the formal end of support for the system is still scheduled for October 14, 2025.</em></p>
<p>In October last year, the company announced that Windows 10 owners could receive <em>a year of security updates after the system “died,”</em> but only for a one-time fee of $30 (or the equivalent based on local rates).</p>
<p>In June, <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/06/24/stay-secure-with-windows-11-copilot-pcs-and-windows-365-before-support-ends-for-windows-10/" target="_blank">a “free” alternative</a> was introduced: protection could be extended through <em>Microsoft Rewards or by syncing settings to the cloud via Windows Backup.</em></p>
<p>This option did not sit well with Euroconsumers, a coalition of consumer groups from Luxembourg and Brussels. In July, lawyers <a href="https://www.euroconsumers.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Letter-to-Windows.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a> to Microsoft headquarters, arguing that this policy violated the <em>Digital Markets Act and the Digital Content Directive,</em> as well as the EU’s climate and sustainability goals. The company was accused of <strong>artificially incentivizing users to upgrade its services, turning basic protection into a marketing ploy.</strong></p>
<p>Correspondence obtained by Tweakers confirms Microsoft’s change of direction. <a href="https://www.euroconsumers.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Euroconsumers_vs_Microsoft_092025.pdf" target="_blank">Now</a> , according to Marco Scialdone, legal director of Euroconsumers, <em>EEA users will be able to activate the free ESU simply by logging into their Microsoft account.</em> They will no longer be required to copy apps, settings, and passwords or “earn” points for additional services.</p>
<p>However, Euroconsumers insists that <em>this step in the right direction doesn’t solve the main problem. An additional year doesn’t meet the requirements of the Digital Content Directive or the EU’s stated sustainability goals</em> . The main obstacle is <strong>Windows 11’s hardware limitations. The new operating system requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), making a significant portion of older devices incompatible with the update</strong> . The association estimates that over <em>850 million computers worldwide are still using Windows 10 and cannot upgrade to the next version.</em></p>
<p>The situation appears particularly dire compared to previous upgrades: <strong>upgrades from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 did not have such limitations</strong> . Furthermore, Windows 10’s lifecycle has proven to be shorter than its predecessors, which Euroconsumers <strong>calls an artificial acceleration of the system’s decline.</strong> In its latest letter, the organization also cites the results of its own survey: <em>22% of users continue to use laptops and PCs manufactured in 2017 or earlier. These devices remain functional, but do not meet Windows 11 requirements, effectively forcing owners to purchase new hardware.</em></p>
<p>The association promises to <em>continue the dialogue with Microsoft over the next year, seeking to extend the protection period for all users of older computers</em> . The company has not yet provided an official response to journalists’ inquiries: <strong>Microsoft’s press office was confused in its comments and has not yet released a definitive statement.</strong></p>
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<p><b><span>Redazione</span></b><br /><span>The editorial team of Red Hot Cyber consists of a group of individuals and anonymous sources who actively collaborate to provide early information and news on cybersecurity and computing in general.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.redhotcyber.com/post/author/redazione/" target="_blank">Lista degli articoli</a></p>
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