Global coalition urges Microsoft to keep Windows 10 alive
Advocates warn end of support could trigger mass e-waste, security risks
Groups say Microsoft’s plan to end Windows 10 support on Oct. 14 will leave up to 400 million devices insecure or junked.
Advocates call the move an environmental and cybersecurity “disaster in the making.”
Coalition demands free, automatic updates continue beyond the deadline.
A global alliance of consumer, repair, and environmental advocates is pressing Microsoft to extend support for Windows 10, warning that ending updates next month could render hundreds of millions of computers obsolete — and create more than 1.6 billion pounds of electronic waste.
The campaign, announced by a coalition including U.S. PIRG, Repair.org, Repair.eu, Consumer Reports, iFixit, and others, urges Microsoft to keep offering free, automatic security updates for Windows 10 after its scheduled October 14 end-of-support date.
“The End of 10 is shaping up to create a mountain of e-waste, and will likely be both a security and environmental disaster,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director of U.S. PIRG’s Right to Repair campaigns. “Our devices should be made to last, not needlessly turned into junk through forced obsolescence.”
Security fears as millions go unpatched
About 44% of Windows computers still run Windows 10, according to the groups — a far larger share than past versions at their end-of-life. When support for Windows 8.1 ended in January 2023, only 2.2% of users were still on that system.
Advocates warn that once Microsoft stops providing free security patches, millions of machines will become vulnerable to cyberattacks.
“Ransomware gangs and other malicious actors will be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of millions of unpatched – and unpatchable – endpoints after Oct. 14,” said Paul Roberts, president of the Secure Resilient Future Foundation. “Microsoft should reconsider its decision and prioritize public health and safety.”
Critics say paid updates aren’t enough
Microsoft has said it will offer extended security updates for a fee, but advocates argue that charging users will not meaningfully reduce risk or waste.
Green Century Capital Management, an environmentally focused investor group, previously pushed Microsoft to extend low-cost support, but says that effort falls short of the global need.
In an open letter to Microsoft, more than a dozen organizations — including Repair Café International, Environment America, and Fixit Clinic — call on the company to provide free and automatic support to protect consumers and the planet.
“People are tired of short-lived electronics that force us to upgrade, take away software support, or create unexpected paywalls to basic features,” said Andre Delattre, senior vice president of U.S. PIRG. “This throwaway system is trashing the planet, violating our rights as consumers, and is just downright annoying. It’s time to fix it.”