A campaign group want users to sign a petition calling on Microsoft to automatically extend support for Windows 10. It says existing plans where users can sign up to an extra year of support cheaply or free of charge don't go far enough.

The petition is the work of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which describes itself as "an advocate for consumers, advancing solutions to problems that affect our health, our safety and our wellbeing." It commonly campaigns on tech topics including the "right to repair" as a way to benefit consumers while reducing environmental waste.

Millions Of Machines Not Upgradable

Windows 10 reaches its "end of life" in October, meaning Microsoft no longer issues automatic security updates. Originally it planned to only offer "extended support", a paid security patch program, to business users.

It later announced home users could pay $30 for the first year to continue getting security fixes. It then went a step further and said users could redeem Microsoft Store points (earned among other ways by using Bing as a search tool) to get the updates. It is also waiving the fee altogether for people who agree to backup their Windows settings to the cloud.

PIRG argues that doesn't go far enough. It claims 40 percent of Windows 10 computers can't be upgraded to Windows 11 because of Microsoft's chosen hardware requirements. It fear users choosing between running an insecure system or throwing working computers into landfill. (Source: pirg.org)

Related: What Happens When Windows 10 Reaches End of Life?

Automatic Updates 'Best Option'

According to PIRG, the issue is so serious that relying on users acting to take up the extended support isn't enough. It thinks that this approach "won't make a dent" in the number of machines which could lose security support.

Instead, it wants Microsoft to simply continue issuing automatic security patches, in effect recognizing that people want to (and will) continue running Windows 10 and that it therefore needs to keep supporting the system. PIRG argues that Microsoft making security patches a paid (or at least restricted) option is "a business decision, not a technical one." (Source: theregister.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Do you support this campaign? Does Microsoft have a moral duty to continue automatically patching Windows 10 for all users? Do you think it will agree to the request and simply extend the end of life date?