Overview

• Effective October 14, Microsoft has stopped free security updates for Windows 10, with EEA individuals able to extend protection free for one year only by signing in with a Microsoft account.
• Outside Europe, continued protection is offered through the paid Extended Security Updates program reported at about $30 per year, with some users also directed to other Microsoft programs.
• Windows 10 still accounts for about 45.65% of active Microsoft-platform devices, and up to 400 million machines are reported incompatible with Windows 11, heightening security and future compatibility risks.
• Consumer groups and dozens of French associations criticize the move as forced obsolescence and raise privacy concerns over the account requirement, with petitions calling for free updates through 2030.
• Public bodies and companies warn of major replacement or mitigation costs, and associative estimates project more than 70 million tonnes of CO2 if large-scale hardware turnover proceeds prematurely.