Overview
- About 20–23 NGOs and consumer groups launched the "Non à la Taxe Windows" campaign, urging Microsoft to keep Windows 10 security updates free through 2030.
- Microsoft confirms it will stop automatic free feature and security updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, pushing users to migrate to Windows 11 or pay for support.
- Reported pricing for Extended Security Updates is roughly €52 per device in year one, rising to €104 and then €244, which critics say penalizes households and small organizations.
- The coalition cites environmental impacts from replacing incompatible PCs, estimating more than 70 million tonnes of CO2 and raw materials equal to nearly 32,000 Eiffel Towers.
- Technical reporting warns some older machines could fail to boot in 2026 without updated Secure Boot certificates, a risk for devices that no longer receive supported updates.