Class-Action Suit Against ‘Harassing’ Microsoft Reminders

An Israeli from Petach Tikvah is suing technology giant Microsoft for “harassment,” saying he has had enough of being “asked” to upgrade to Windows 10. Ro’i Gorodish filed a petition with a Haifa court to certify his petition as a class-action lawsuit, in which he would seek compensation for the harassment he claims he and many others are suffering.

“Even in the modern world people have a right not to be constantly bombarded, at all times and places, with warnings and pleas that are really advertisements,” Gorodish told Israeli business paper Globes. “People have a right to a computer that will not be turned against them, and used to annoy and bother them at all times.”

Gorodish claims in his petition that in recent years he had purchased several computers with licenses for Windows 7 and 8. Last year, Microsoft began seeking to convince customers to upgrade to its new product – a bit too aggressively for his taste, Gorodish said. “Messages to upgrade pop up on our screens at all times, and users cannot ignore the messages.” The only way to get rid of the messages is to restart the computer – causing workers to lose time, and starting the whole cycle all over again.

“The actions taken by Microsoft constitute a classic case of harassment,” the petition said. “By their nature, they no doubt affect a great many people, who are subjected to constantly repeated incidents of this harassment. The harassment cannot be avoided, by design of the harassing party.”

Microsoft said that it was investigating the matter, and had no public comment.