What the heck, Microsoft?
From April 24, 2024, until May 24, 2024, my Outlook inbox was flooded every single weekday with unwanted spam from an address I have never subscribed to: [email protected]. The subject? “Start Daily brings you trending news every weekday.”
Let me repeat: I never asked for this. I never clicked “subscribe,” I never signed up for daily news updates, and now my inbox is drowning in spam from you, Microsoft. I get bombarded with enough emails on a daily basis—why are you adding to that noise?
A Useless Unsubscribe Link
So, naturally, I did what any reasonable person would do: I tried to unsubscribe. Microsoft, you put this little unsubscribe link at the bottom of your spam emails like a tiny gesture of false hope. And guess what? It doesn’t even work!
I clicked the unsubscribe link—multiple times, in fact—and every single time, I was greeted with either a black screen or some error page. Seriously, Microsoft? You can’t even be bothered to make your unsubscribe process functional? Are you kidding me?
How Is This Good Practice?
Here’s what I don’t get: How is this considered acceptable in 2024? Microsoft, you’re a tech giant, not some shady fly-by-night operation. People trust you with their data, and you can’t even manage basic email etiquette? You don’t get to force emails on people that they never asked for, and then give them no real way to opt out.
How did this even start? I never signed up for “Start Daily.” I didn’t ask for daily spam clogging my inbox. So, who at Microsoft thought this was a great idea? Was there a meeting where someone said, “Hey, let’s just start spamming people’s inboxes without their consent”? Because that’s what this feels like—like you’re treating my inbox like your personal ad billboard.
Fix It, Microsoft
What I want is simple: Stop sending me spam. Fix your broken unsubscribe link, and give people control over what emails they receive. You’re a tech company with endless resources; this isn’t rocket science.
If you’re reading this and you’ve experienced the same thing, you’re not alone. Microsoft, it’s time to do better.