To prevent people from purchasing unnecessary software, Microsoft has now taken action against cleaners and optimization software that use alarming, coercive messages to scare customers into buying a premium version of the same program. 

There has been an increase in free versions of programs that purport to scan computers for various errors, and then use alarming, coercive messages to scare customers into buying a premium version of the same program. The paid version of these programs, usually called cleaner or optimizer applications, purportedly fixes the problems discovered by the free version. We find this practice problematic because it can pressure customers into making unnecessary purchase decisions.

Typically these softwares are free to download and when used, it finds all finds all kinds of issues that need a fix. They alert end-users with alarming messages, pressuring people to purchase a premium version of the software, to fix the issues.

Microsoft updated their evaluation criteria for unwanted software.

“We use the evaluation criteria to determine what programs are identified as malware and unwanted software. In the future, programs that display coercive messaging will be classified as unwanted software, detected, and removed,” Microsoft’s Barak Shein explains.

The move is in addition to earlier steps Microsoft has taken to regulate cleaner and optimizer programs including requiring them to provide users with detailed information about what purportedly needs to be fixed following a scan. "Programs must not display alarming or coercive messages or misleading content to pressure you into paying for additional services or performing superfluous actions", Microsoft explained. Odds are, you've seen these types of programs in practice.

Windows Defender and Security Essentials will now automatically delete annoying cleaners