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Google, Opera, Vivaldi, and several other companies have united to form the Browser Choice Alliance, alleging that Microsoft is restricting web browser options on Windows.
The coalition claims Microsoft employs “dark patterns” to discourage users from choosing alternative browsers and instead push them toward its own browser, Edge. They argue that the company obstructs the downloading of competing browsers, reverts the default browser to Edge during system updates, and forces links from its services to open in Edge, which overrides user preferences.
The Browser Choice Alliance has launched.
It's a coalition of browsers (Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, and others) against Microsoft and their Edge browser dark patterns to avoid full browser competition on Windows PCs. pic.twitter.com/ls4uBkHWtw
— Maximiliano Firtman (@firt) November 26, 2024
The coalition is asking for intervention from regulators such as the European Commission to list Microsoft’s Edge as “gatekeeper” under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The alliance alleges that Windows, as the dominant desktop operating system with over 70% global market share according to StatCounter, gives Microsoft significant power to limit competition from rival software. They accuse Microsoft of using this dominance to impose “deceptive restrictions” on competitors.
The group states: “At every turn, Microsoft uses dark patterns, technical roadblocks, and deception to stop consumers accessing the browser they want or setting it as default.”
Examples of these practices are said to include creating obstacles to downloading alternative browsers, reverting users’ default settings to Edge during routine updates, forcing links from Microsoft services like Teams or Outlook to open exclusively in Edge or Bing, and employing coercive messaging to encourage users to “restore Microsoft recommended browser settings.”
In July 2024, Opera appealed the European Commission’s decision not to classify Microsoft Edge as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act, a move that gained public support from several other browsers. The his action follows Vivaldi’s 2023 open letter criticizing Microsoft’s practices under the DMA and extensive coverage of the issue by various media outlets.
User choices reportedly impeded over browser ‘hurdles’
Google Chrome Vice President Parisa Tabriz said that user choices “should be respected,” while Opera’s Executive Vice President Krystian Kolondra added that being able to access any browser should be a “freedom [that] must be preserved.”
In a separate blog post, Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner stated: “For a long time, Vivaldi has publicly called out Microsoft for its dirty tricks to undermine consumer choice. Independent browsers like us simply cannot compete fairly with Edge when it is so heavily preferenced in Windows. Regulators need to intervene urgently.”
The group also revealed that there are additional unnamed members in the alliance who have chosen not to voice their opinions publicly, citing concerns about potential retaliation from Microsoft. This could include public smear campaigns or more discreet disruptions to their businesses.
However, Microsoft is not the only tech giant under scrutiny. Just on Thursday (Nov 21), ReadWrite reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had proposed that Google divest its Chrome browser to curb its dominance in online search, arguing that it serves as a gateway reinforcing the company’s monopoly.
ReadWrite has reached out to Microsoft for a response.
Featured image: Canva
