Microsoft sneaks ads into the new Outlook for Windows

[harlan4096]

The migration from the classic Mail and Calendar app to the new Outlook app is in full swing already. Microsoft announced the deprecation of the classic apps in favor of a new Outlook app in June 2023. It introduced the new Outlook app to Insider builds a month later and announced that it would enforce the migration in early 2024.

Not all users are migrated at this point. Those who have been migrated already or installed the Outlook app directly, may notice several differences between the new Outlook app and the classic Mail app.

One of the main differences turns an ad-free email experience into one with ads. You may see ads in the inbox in the new Outlook.



The classic Mail app did not have any ads. The new Outlook app is based on the web-version of Outlook, which also features advertisement.

Microsoft highlights advertisement with an ad icon. The ads are designed to look like regular emails otherwise, and it may be difficult for some users to distinguish between ads and real emails.

Microsoft is not the only maintainer of a free email service that displays these types of ads. Google's Gmail service and many other free email services may also display these types of ads to users.

Ads in the new Outlook app may be deleted. This is done by hovering over them in the inbox and selecting the trashcan icon. This won't last long though, as new ads will eventually be added to the inbox again.

There is also a menu link that links to the "go ad-free" page on Microsoft's website. Microsoft asks for $1.99 per month for an ad-free Outlook experience.

Ads and trackers are almost synonymous these days. Proton, maker of Proton Mail and therefore a Microsoft competitor, claimed that Microsoft was using the Outlook app as a new data collection service on Windows.
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[jasonX]

Microsoft playing evil again...Thanks for the info! Cheers!