Microsoft: Windows 10 Security Updates Free in Europe

Private customers should only receive security updates for Windows 10 in exchange for a fee or personal data. Consumer advocates are pushing Microsoft to provide them for free.

There's good news for Windows 10 users: The company is making the "Extended Security Updates" (ESU) available free of charge for one year to private users in the European Economic Area (comprising EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) until October 14, 2026. This was revealed in correspondence between a consumer organization and Microsoft. Microsoft has since confirmed this to Windows Central .

Unlike in the US, for example, where a year's worth of updates costs $30, consumers in Europe can receive security updates free of charge. Microsoft assured the Euroconsumers association of this . There will still be one catch: The security updates will only be available to private users who have linked their Windows 10 installation to a Microsoft account. Nevertheless, Els Bruggemann of the consumer organization Euroconsumers, which had urged Microsoft to do this, considers this progress.

There's good news for Windows 10 users: The company is making the "Extended Security Updates" (ESU) available free of charge for one year to private users in the European Economic Area (comprising EU countries, as well as Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) until October 14, 2026. This was revealed in correspondence between a consumer organization and Microsoft. Microsoft has since confirmed this to Windows Central .

Unlike in the US, for example, where a year's worth of updates costs $30, consumers in Europe can receive security updates free of charge. Microsoft assured the Euroconsumers association of this . There will still be one catch: The security updates will only be available to private users who have linked their Windows 10 installation to a Microsoft account. Nevertheless, Els Bruggemann of the consumer organization Euroconsumers, which had urged Microsoft to do this, considers this progress.

Euroconsumers saw several violations of EU law in the conditions the company had previously set for access to extended security update support. Microsoft had made access to updates dependent on additional data. Given the US company's market power under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the little-known "Directive on certain aspects of contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services," this is not possible, the organization stated. The directive sets out requirements for digital content and services. However, Euroconsumers continues to accuse Microsoft of violating the law and causing unnecessary obsolescence through arbitrary hardware requirements for Windows 11.

The new regulation only applies in the European Union.

Euroconsumers has been somewhat appeased by the new approach whereby private users are dependent on a Microsoft account for security updates: At least legally, this is not a violation of the Digital Markets Act, unlike, for example, the linking to participation in the rewards program or Microsoft's OneDrive, Bruggeman explained to heise online. However, for companies and other commercial users, participation in the ESU program remains subject to a fee.

By making this concession to consumer advocates, Microsoft is clearly giving users in the EU and the associated economic area a significant advantage in its first consumer ESU program, which could trigger further debate in other regions as well. The fact that EU law apparently offers users a better position here than in other legal systems is likely to be welcomed by the relevant politicians in Brussels.

Share this post