There has been an increase in free versions of programs that purport to scan computers for various errors, and then use alarming, coercive messages to scare customers into buying a premium version of the same program. The paid version of these programs, usually called cleaner or optimizer applications, purportedly fixes the problems discovered by the free version. We find this practice problematic because it can pressure customers into making unnecessary purchase decisions.
To help protect customers from receiving such coercive messaging, we are updating our evaluation criteria to specify that programs must not use alarming or coercive messaging that can put pressure on customers into making a purchase or performing other actions. We use the evaluation criteria to determine what programs are identified as malware and unwanted software. In the future, programs that display coercive messaging will be classified as unwanted software, detected, and removed.
This update comes in addition to our other long-standing customer protection requirements designed to keep our customers from being deceived by programs that display misleading, exaggerated, or threatening messages about a system’s health. In February 2016, we required cleaner and optimizer programs that purport to clean up systems and optimize performance to provide customers with detailed information about what purportedly needs to be fixed. This requirement aims to protect customers from programs that present aggregate “error” results with no specific details, without providing customers with the ability to assess and validate the so-called errors.
We have recently updated our evaluation criteria to state:
Unwanted behaviors: coercive messaging

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