- Report commissioned by Mozilla accuses Microsoft of using ‘harmful design’ to undermine browser choice in Windows 11
- This would include misleading wording, hassling, pre-screening, and generally questionable tactics to push Edge over other browsers.
- The report observes that the situation is better in the European Economic Area, thanks to regulation there, and notes that “regulatory action is working”, urging authorities in other countries to adopt a similar stance.
Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, has released another report claiming that Microsoft is not maintaining a level enough playing field for web browsers on Windows and is unfairly pushing users toward Edge.
As Mozilla makes clear, it released the first “Over the Edge” report – on “How Microsoft’s design tactics undermine free browser choice” – two years ago, and the follow-up has just arrived (as spotted by Eteknix).
It’s not actually written by Mozilla, I should note, but by two independent researchers commissioned by the creator of Firefox (Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, the same couple who wrote the first article). It takes into account user reviews from the US, UK, India and Germany regarding “key browser choice journeys” on Windows 11 and 10.
In a nutshell, they conclude: “Microsoft continues to deploy harmful designs to undermine users’ browser choice.” »
This specifically involves, according to the report: “misleading wording, obstructions, visual interference, pre-selections, harassing and forced actions – at almost every step of the user journey.”
Some of the worst excesses highlighted are the pop-up banner that Edge users see when they go to Chrome’s download page (trying to get them to stick with Microsoft’s browser, which it says has the same technology as Chrome but with the “added trust of Microsoft”), and the nagging of Windows around using Edge as its default browser in one way or another.
The report also details how Edge is pre-pinned to the Windows taskbar and how a migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11 resets Edge as the default browser, replacing any previous choices. There are also numerous accusations regarding misleading wording, as well as the observation that Microsoft uses Copilot (AI) to open links in Edge rather than your default browser.
On the subject of AI, the report notes: “Researchers suggest that a sequence of seemingly minor consent requests on Windows and Edge could combine into a ‘pipeline’ funneling browsing data – potentially including data from competing browsers – into Microsoft’s advertising and personalization systems.” “
It’s worth noting that Germany – included as a representative country within the European Economic Area (EEA), which has different regulatory requirements that Microsoft must adhere to – escapes many of these excesses (including the Chrome download nonsense).
Despite this, the researchers say their general conclusion that “Microsoft does not allow users to download and install an alternative browser, set it as default, or continue to use it by default, without harmful interference” is, they claim, true “in all regions tested.”
Analysis: a call to regulate
Yes, this is a report commissioned by a rival browser, but these results aren’t at all surprising overall, and Microsoft has long been known to be zealously promoting Edge in Windows 11, trying various questionable shenanigans to make the browser work, as the report observes. Of course, on the other hand, Google pulls similar stunts with Chrome.
Still, that’s no excuse, and no browser should actively try to dissuade people from downloading another competing browser. What Mozilla also points out, of course, is that Microsoft is in a special position of power here, given that it owns the world’s leading desktop operating system, and that it leverages that platform in a variety of ways to promote Edge adoption.
Whether this worked for Microsoft or not – spoiler alert, it didn’t – doesn’t matter, because this behavior is obviously neither ethical nor fair, and while it may not have dented Chrome’s reign as the main browser, it may have damaged smaller rivals like Firefox.
While the EEA may have a considerably better balance when it comes to browser equality within Windows, the report notes that this is of course because regulations have forced Microsoft’s hand. This is arguably another negative as it shows that Microsoft only respects the user’s choice of browsers when they are forced to do so.
Mozilla ends with the following paragraph that sums it all up nicely: “We once again urge Microsoft to abandon these harmful patterns worldwide. And we urge regulators in the European Union, UK, US, India and beyond to view this report as proof that regulatory action is working – there is still more to do.
So, if Microsoft really wants to talk about “increased trust,” how about taking action on some of these sticking points? Or is it just a matter of needing to be more trustworthy than Google?
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