Microsoft says that ads appearing in Windows 11’s File Explorer were a mistake and “not intended to be published externally” after a Windows Insider tweeted about them.
Insider MVP Florian Beaubois shared a picture of a banner ad in File Explorer on Twitter, noting — aptly — that “people will go mad” if Microsoft adds ads to File Explorer.
Some people will go mad if Microsoft starts adding ads in explorer. pic.twitter.com/rusnyrYyX2
— Florian (@flobo09) March 12, 2022
In a statement to The Verge, senior program manager for Windows Brandon LeBlanc explained the ad was “an experimental banner that was not intended to be published externally and was turned off.”
Unfortunately, saying “we didn’t mean for this to happen” doesn’t mean Microsoft will never put ads in File Explorer. Plus, it’s clear now that Microsoft can run ads in File Explorer if it wanted to.
Which, it does. The company has a track record of putting ads into Windows, although typically for its own services (an ad is an ad, however). The Verge points out that Microsoft experimented with a banner ad in the Windows 10 File Explorer for promoting OneDrive back in 2017.
The company also put ads into the Windows 10 lock screen, the Start menu, and has added all kinds of pop-ups and other intrusive, ad-like things to push its Edge browser on users.
All this is to say, while Microsoft may not be putting ads into File Explorer right now, it can and probably will.
Source: Florian Beaubois (Twitter) Via: The Verge
