this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024
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  • Mozilla has issued a warning about Microsoft's design practices, claiming that the company uses harmful design tactics to influence users to switch to its Edge browser.
  • The report highlights how Microsoft interrupts the installation process of Google Chrome on Windows devices, promoting the security and privacy benefits of Edge.
  • Mozilla calls for regulatory action to restore browser choice and competition across major platforms.

Archive link: https://archive.ph/koBY6


Chrome

Windows

Well there's your problem!

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[–] [email protected] 166 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Microsoft really wants someone to remind it of these days:

[–] [email protected] 27 points 9 months ago (4 children)

I like that part of firefox's summary was that it's free. Uh, yeah, they all are. Thanks Mozilla!

[–] [email protected] 50 points 9 months ago

Well, its not proprietary

[–] [email protected] 22 points 9 months ago

Opera originally wasn't free.

Also, while it is chromium based, Vivaldi is excellent and is essentially a bunch of old Opera team members.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

It is the only Free software in that dialog though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

No, they are all available at no cost. Only Firefox is free software.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I don't remember that. Where is it from?

Microsoft never liked competing browsers (not even in the pre-IE6 era when all they had was crap), so it's hard to believe it came from them.

[–] [email protected] 67 points 9 months ago (4 children)

EU fined the sh1t out of them, and somebody in the regulatory body at the time realized that was not enough. So they were ordered to present the user with a choice of a browser during the OS install.

What I really want to know is why and how it went away.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 9 months ago (2 children)

sh1t

You can say "shit" here, nobody is going to be a cunt about it.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago

What I really want to know is why and how it went away.

The move was in place because of the fear that IE was becoming a monopoly. Now Edge is very very far from the most popular browser, and Google Chrome is looking like the overwhelmingly dominant player, there's no reason to make MS prompt people to download rival products anymore.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (2 children)

INAL but my understanding was a lot of the fines and penalties hung on IE being part of the OS. I think it was the update functionality but don't quote me.

So with some legal technicalities, later versions of windows made it "not" part of the OS just a bundled application. A legal distinction without meaning but it meant they didn't need to do these things anymore.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

The great joke is they are making the same mistakes again with edge, unfortunately the American justice system is a shambles these days so it's probably down to the EU to take the moral high ground.

Microsoft appear to be exposed to monopolistic penalties in several markets currently: browsers, AI / search, teams and office come to mind (although competitors are lacking, here)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

Could be I'm Not A Lawyer. We call that an "IANAL Contraction"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I know what it means, but everytime I think it sounds like screaming a new Apple product.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

iAnal, now that'd get the Apple fanboys going.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

I think it will be back this March with the new laws (Digital Markets Act).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Honestly surprised Opera and Mozilla don't strike again together

[–] [email protected] 23 points 9 months ago

Opera gave up a long time ago when they abandoned Presto. Today it is owned by some Chinese company, and they are just chasing the latest buzzwords, crypto, AI, you name it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

There are talks in the EU with the DMA about bringing this back.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Yup, they already forced Google to announce that they'll add such a choice screen for the search engine and web browser on Android: https://www.neowin.net/news/google-will-add-new-search-and-browser-choice-screens-for-android-phones-in-europe/

It's only a matter of time before Microsoft does so too.