Help improve Microsoft products by sending the results from searches on the web

So this telemetry MS has introduced into Edge under Privacy: "Help improve Microsoft products by sending the results from searches on the web" - I have turned it off, so was surprised when I got a pop up on relaunching Edge later saying MS was improving my search results or something, with a button to go to my settings, where the option was re-enabled. Not by me! So I disabled it again.

Now, within 5-10 mins of launching Edge, I get the pop up again, every single time. And every time I have to disable the option. I do not have sync settings enabled in Edge or my general Windows settings, so that is not the problem. Anyone else finding this very annoying behaviour? MS needs to learn no means no!

Win 11 Pro and Edge 96.0.1054.53.

EDIT: I have discovered the same thing happens for me on Edge on Win 10 too. I've also discovered the the option is not re-enabling itself if I open a settings page WITH the pop up still there, but then the only way to get rid of the pop up is to either click on one of the two buttons it shows. There is no "x". One is "got it" and one is "Manage settings". Both options re-enable the option, and so I disable it again. The pop up still happens soon after Edge is launched though.

I don't appreciate the nagging or the interruption to go and disable it all the time. Will have to go and provide some feedback, but before I do, is this happening for anyone else?

Not seeing this behaviour with my Edge, it is possible the popup is generated due to another setting you have enabled/ turned off requiring confirmation for each new session, can't say which setting though as I don't have the issue, sorry.

In Settings, Privacy & security I have the 'Send optional diagnostic data' set to off.

This is my settings in Edge,

I have mine turned off and it stays off. Like @Fabler2 I do not send any optional stuff to MS if ever I did I would use the feedback hub

The-Hive said:

I have mine turned off and it stays off. Like @Fabler2 I do not send any optional stuff to MS if ever I did I would use the feedback hub

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Same here.

catspyjamas said:

MS needs to learn no means no!

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MS respects only enterprise users (paying customers), policy would lock it, but unfortunately there is no policy for this setting.

catspyjamas said:

I don't appreciate the nagging or the interruption to go and disable it all the time.

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You can try to disable those features. Also this flag:
edge://flags/#edge-show-feature-recommendations

Thanks for the replies. To those who said you have the setting turned off - I do too! I also do not like to send optional stuff to MS. The problem is the pop up that happens constantly, that cannot be gotten rid of without choosing either "Got It" or "Manage settings". Either choice will re-enable this particular telemetry setting. Of course I can promptly disable it, but then I get another pop up either later on in the browsing session, or a short time after opening a new session of Edge. I think it's happened about five times already today.

@TairikuOkami - cheers for the info! I was actually just curious if it was just me, or if others were finding this too. (And there you go - pop up number six as I type). I'll try disabling the flag in Edge and see if that helps. If it doesn't, I may have a go at the registry edits, though to be fair I prefer not to go messing about with the registry. Thanks for taking the time to share the workarounds.

@DigitalGoat yeah I wondered the same & I've been through all my settings in Edge, and also all relevant settings I can think of in Windows Settings, but I can't see what's doing this. I did think perhaps CCleaner, but I haven't run that 6 times today, so can't be that. If I remember I had a similar experience with pop ups in Edge when they introduced sleeping tabs. They happened most browser sessions from memory, but after a few weeks eventually stopped. Hopefully this one will too. MS really want that telemetry it seems.