Users must be provided with adequate choice and control before, during and after installation. Microsoft Advertising does not allow software which does not provide adequate choice and/or control.
Choice ensures that users are fully informed about how software may affect their experience on their devices, and that none of the functions of a program or settings on the device are altered without the user’s clear and informed consent.
Control ensures that users are in full control of the overall experience on their device, including all software applications they download. Users must be in control at all times, including if and when they elect to revert back to previous settings or uninstall or disable any previously installed software.
User notice must be clear, informed, unequivocal, and not coerced or otherwise obtained through misleading claims, false representations, or other fraudulent means. In determining whether disclosures to users are acceptable, we will consider the totality of the experience on both the offer and the landing page and/or offer screen from the point of view of an average consumer. Material terms cannot appear only within the End User License Agreement (“EULA”) but must be prominently displayed up front (that is, what an average user can read and understand) and must not be misleading or hidden (for example only under the “Custom Install” option).
- Disclosures enable users to exercise choice. All relevant and material information must be clearly and prominently disclosed up front to end users on the landing page, offer screen or store listing (as relevant) before install. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Origin and scope of the download, including if the download originates from a different domain.
- All software that is included in the download. This includes each product name, source, key features and functionalities, and a link to the privacy policy and EULA (which shall include contact information).
- Actions and effects that the software will have on the user’s device and settings, including changes to the search providers, autocomplete, homepages, local file systems and other configurations and user's settings.
- Alteration of existing software on the user's device.
- Any variations from the official software.
- Software uninstalls information that includes instructions on reverting back settings that the software changes.
- Offer screens must clearly disclose and identify to users all software included in the offer (including appropriate branding/logo usage).
- The name of the software on the offer screen must match the name of the software as stored on the user device and uninstall dialogs. In other words, users must be able to clearly locate the software on their devices based on the original name presented in the offer screen at installation.
- Add/remove details must be accurate (for example, install date must match the date of the program installation).
- Offer screens must be presented to the user as either opt-in or opt-out.
- Users must be able to decline all secondary offers, individually or in bulk (“Skip All”).
- Accept and Decline options must be of equal prominence.
- Repeat declines are disallowed. As users decline any or all secondary offers, the offer screen must not prompt users to decline the same offer(s) more than once.
- Offer screens must clearly disclose to the users any changes to the settings, existing software and applications. For example, modifications to the search provider, homepage and/or new tab must be clearly disclosed to the user.