Mozilla, the company responsible for the popular Firefox browser, has weighed in on how it thinks browser choice screens could influence which browser we choose, ahead of upcoming EU DMA requirements.
The research draws from 12,000 participants from across Europe and claims to be one of the first large-scale studies designed to understand how consumers are influenced by browser choice screens.
According to the analysts, using the right type of browser screen promotes competition and puts the power back in the hands of the consumer.
Mozilla paves the way for research into browser choice
The EU’s digital markets law will require browser choice screens from 2024, but despite the looming deadline, Mozilla says there has been little focus on the effectiveness of remedies against browser competition so far.
In light of the EU’s decision to more actively promote competition, the 2022 ‘Five Walled Gardens’ report reveals how developers can put the power back in the hands of consumers.
One of the key findings is that consumers prefer to have a choice of browsers during device setup, rather than at a later stage, probably because they are already prepared to make numerous other decisions at this stage . Mozilla noted that an earlier capability would be less likely to interrupt workflow.
The report also highlights that smaller factors, such as the design of the browser selection screen and the order in which browsers appear, have a substantial impact on a user’s decision.
However, ChromeIt seems unlikely that the company’s existing dominance will be challenged anytime soon. Of the four test groups observed by Mozilla, between five and six in ten users chose Google’s browser, which is in line with the current Statcounter figures give Chrome a 64% market share.
Mozilla says it will “engage with interested regulators, companies, academics, civil society and consumer organizations to discuss the results of (the) experiment, the implications for browser selection screens and the broader lessons,” in the hope that it can help the EU help to better stimulate consumer choice.