Mozilla blows the whistle on Microsoft: ‘Over the Edge’ report accuses Windows 11 maker of browser bias and deceptive tactics
Mozilla has made some pretty serious accusations against Microsoft, including that the company is forcing its own browser, Edge, on Windows users by using deceptive tactics. These reportedly include the use of misleading advertisements, notifications worded as system warnings, and confusing interfaces.
In case you don’t know, Mozilla is an open-source, non-profit organization behind the Firefox web browser, which is a competitor to Microsoft’s Edge. Mozilla has addressed Microsoft directly, calling on it to stop its current practices, and has called for broader industry regulations to make things fairer for competing browsers.
It recently released a report titled “Over the Edge: The Use of Design Tactics to Undermine Browser Choice.” It opens by stating that users should have the right to choose their browser and use it without their operating system interfering.
Microsoft is then accused of using deceptive design elements, calling it “dark patterns” that try to not-so-subtly trick users into using Microsoft’s own Edge browser, which comes installed by default in Windows 10 and Windows 11 (similar to how Internet Explorer was in the past). Mozilla explains that this makes it difficult for competitors to even gain visibility, let alone be installed and used by Windows 11 users, putting Edge rivals like Chrome and Firefox at a disadvantage.
Mozilla goes into detail about some of the tactics Microsoft claims to be using. This includes actions such as injecting Edge ads when users went to Chrome’s download page or when users used the Bing search in other browsers, designing an intentionally confusing Windows 11 interface, and instances of misleading language in notifications that resemble system warnings. You can view Mozilla’s complaints in their entirety in the report.
The dust has been blown – what comes next?
The organization suggests that Microsoft is limiting user choice and preventing fair competition in the browser market. Mozilla is not mincing words and is urging Microsoft to reconsider its ‘harmful designs’. It also calls on regulators to get involved and facilitate fairer competition.
So the ball is in Microsoft’s court and the company has not yet responded to Mozilla’s report. This isn’t the first accusation of this kind against Microsoft (and other tech companies). Some of Mozilla’s grievances could potentially be addressed in the upcoming Digital Market Act (DMA) in Europe, which comes into effect in March 2024, so we’ll see.
We’ll see if Microsoft responds, as many users will agree with Mozilla, and competition is often helpful for consumers to get more options and better results. We’ve also reached out to Microsoft for comment on this report.
It’s best not to jump to conclusions, but Microsoft has a prolific history of bad market competition practices (which many people probably don’t remember, fortunately for Microsoft). Microsoft is no stranger to getting into trouble with regulators, even when it comes to browsers. The company faced multiple legal challenges in the US regarding its controversial marketing and distribution practices, especially with programs such as Internet Explorer, in the 1990s. Let’s hope it doesn’t go back to old habits.