[koluna]

We're talking about MSFT here - what did they build in the past 5 years that did not have a dark pattern built in?

Windows nags you about Microsoft account and won't let you install without it unless you know the magic CMD incantations.

Xbox games that are physical are nothing more than a "license key" that is used to download games from the MSFT servers, so if they ever go down, your DVDs are useless.

MSN being showed in Windows under the guise of "weather" and "widgets" while they promote trash tabloid content.

Logging in with an Outlook account in Edge hooks it to sync with Edge and you have to then explicitly go and opt out.

Shoveling third-party adware into Edge in the form of "credit payments".

Blocking custom browser settings.

There's a clear history here of reverse-Midas-ing quite a few things, and I genuinely feel bad for folks that want to build a great product within that environment. But the pattern is clear - your data and usage of their products will be tracked and monetized. The only winning move is not to play.