‘Going too far without user consent’: Mozilla blasts Microsoft’s AI creep as user backlash forces Copilot to be scaled back

Stinging criticism aimed at Microsoft

13 Apr 2026, 11:56 by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/alex-blake · TechRadar

News By Alex Blake published 13 April 2026

(Image credit: AdriaVidal via Shutterstock)

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Mozilla has criticized Microsoft’s Copilot practices
Microsoft has faced complaints over forcing its AI onto users
It’s now decided to scale back Copilot in its apps

If you’re a long-time Windows user, you might have noticed Microsoft’s not-so-subtle attempts to shoehorn its Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) into pretty much every app possible on your PC. Copilot in Notepad? Check. In Widgets? You bet. In the Snipping Tool? Of course.

But all that unreasonable AI-ification has led to repeated user backlash, and it seems that Microsoft has finally cottoned on by scaling back machine learning features in a selection of its own apps. And for Firefox maker Mozilla, that move is long overdue.

Writing on the company’s official blog, Linda Griffin, Mozilla’s Vice President of Global Policy, said that “Rolling back these forced AI integrations is the right move, but this is just the most recent example of Microsoft going too far without user consent.”

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Griffin characterized Microsoft’s Copilot expansion as forceful and done “with no prompt and no consent,” noting that users were not asked if they wanted their apps to be outfitted with AI features.

And Griffin was blunt about Microsoft’s motivations, saying that “When Microsoft says it now wants to be ‘intentional’ about Copilot, they’re really admitting that they made repeated choices to serve their business over their customers.”

‘Deceptive’ moves

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Griffin argued that embedding AI inside its apps was part of a “pattern of deceptive design patterns” from Microsoft.

Research commissioned by Mozilla has found that “Microsoft uses design and distribution tactics to override user choice,” such as the Windows search bar opening Edge and not your web browser of choice, the lack of a device migration system in Microsoft’s operating system, and the convoluted path users must take if they want to select a new default browser.

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