Microsoft absolutely doesn't need it, but I'm guessing the weather app team (or the core filler apps team or whatever team is responsible for it) needs it to juice a metric to make some middle manager happy.

And it makes the middle manager happy because it lets that middle manager report better numbers to their superiors again.

Etc.

It's why all large dysfunctional organisations do self destructive stuff like this.

> What’s next? Ads on the start menu?

They already exist: https://www.howtogeek.com/windows-11-start-menu-ads-how-to-t...

They do. Never forget, Microsoft's goal is to squeeze as much money from you as possible.