Is this due to a lawsuit in the EU or someplace that requires Microsoft to specifically to ask the end user for permission to update/install files on the user's machine? This might not be on Microsoft.
Is there such a thing? I don't think so - last time I checked, there was about 6 GB of MS-supplied malware trying to download and install itself on eeeeeeeeevery Win7 computer through Windows Update (where not prevented by technical means such as GPO or GWX Control Panel). So no, that's either a) a fictional requirement, or b) ignored by MS.
