This is hardly a blatant lie.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/get-rid-of-ads-in-your-windows-10-start-menu/ This is from 2015
https://www.cnet.com/tech/who-wants-ads-in-their-windows-11-start-menu-heres-how-to-turn-them-off/ and now
The fact that you haven’t noticed this doesn’t mean its made up
Ads are…already a thing. Shit like putting candy crush which allows you to spend real money to pay to win. Search suggestions in the start menu. The app store is an attempt at an Apple style money grab except the money grab only exists on the apple side because its the only way to get apps on the machine and MS never got much out its store in comparison.
Ads and subscriptions would already have happened if they had succeeded in using secure boot to lock machines out of alternative OS