From 14 October, International E-Waste Day, Microsoft will no longer offer automatic Windows 10 updates. Campaigners demand EU action against software-driven obsolescence as thousands of repair events take place globally to celebrate International Repair Day on 18 October.
Release date: Brussels, 14 October 2025
Visuals available: Images of affected devices and the Brussels stunt to protest Microsoft’s decision to end Windows 10 support here
Campaigners say no to Microsoft, and no to software obsolescence
Campaigners staged a protest outside Microsoft’s Brussels offices, exposing perfectly functional PCs rendered obsolete by the company’s decision to end free and automatic Windows 10 updates.
This decision will make around 400 million computers unsecure globally overnight, potentially generating over 700 million kg of electrical waste, adding to the 62 billion kg of e-waste produced globally each year. Ironically, the decision will become effective as of 14 October: International E-Waste Day.
The end of Windows 10 support is just one example of a systemic issue: software-driven obsolescence. Without regulation, companies can cut off updates for devices—from laptops to medical equipment, smart home appliances, and fitness devices—forcing consumers to replace functional products.
Bad for business, bad for consumers, and bad for the environment
As well as being an environmental issue, businesses face unnecessary upgrade costs, while consumers, especially low-income households, risk cybersecurity threats by using unsupported software.
Microsoft recently granted EEA consumers a one-year extension for free updates—a temporary fix that campaigners call a “snooze button”. They demand free, automatic updates until at least 2030 and robust EU legislation to end planned obsolescence in Europe.
In an open letter to European Commissioners Jessika Roswall and Henna Virkkunen, campaigners urge the EU to introduce Ecodesign requirements mandating 15 years of software updates for laptops and adequate support for other energy-related products.
Mathieu Rama, Programme Manager, ECOS, said: “Microsoft hitting the snooze button by offering an extra year of Windows 10 updates should not put us back to sleep. The European Commission must use this time to introduce a real solution: stronger rules on software obsolescence to stop wasting the precious resources in our digital products. We need at least fifteen years of security updates for all digital products.”
Cristina Ganapini, Coordinator of Right to Repair Europe, said: “Microsoft’s move to drop Windows 10 support could turn millions of functional computers into e-waste, not because they’re faulty, but because software says so. This is ‘fast tech’ in action: a system profiting from forced obsolescence and locked repairs, draining wallets and poisoning the planet. Current EU rules are failing to stop it. We need mandatory repairability, long-term software support, and strong right-to-repair laws. Recycling isn’t enough; the Circular Economy Act must prioritise reuse and repair, before fast tech costs us the Earth.”
The Brussels stunt is part of a broader call for action during International Repair Day. Thousands of events worldwide are promoting repair and reuse as solutions to e-waste.
Media Contact: Cristina Ganapini, Coordinator, Right to Repair Europe, info@repair.eu
Notes to Editors:
- Visuals available: Images of the Brussels stunt and affected devices here
- International Repair Day: Global map of repair events here
- Open Letter to Commissioner Roswall and Virkkunen: Link
- International Letter to Microsoft: Link
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