Microsoft Edge may have been caught red-handed by helping itself to Google Chrome user data
Microsoft has a history of implementing measures that confuse users at best, and really irritate them at worst, and it seems that the fact that the company has become the most valuable company in the world by market capitalization has put the company in has not discouraged it at all.
This time, Microsoft is accused of siphoning data from other tech companies’ browsers. Apparently having its own browser, Microsoft Edge, and all the user data it collects with it isn’t enough.
Neowin reports that users are angry because Microsoft is accused of not asking permission to get data like open tabs and more from Google Chrome. Like Google Chrome itself and other browsers, Edge also has a feature that allows you to migrate and sync your data and saved information from another browser, making switching easier.
When you first download and set up Edge, you’ll be asked if you want to allow Edge to access this information and do so, but this is otherwise disabled by default.
Bug or intentional data harvesting?
This migration option is quite common, but here’s where the problem comes in: Edge seems to pull that kind of data from Chrome (if you have both installed) even if you haven’t given permission for it.
Tom Warren of The Verge very explicitly called on Microsoft to do exactly thatin which he explained how after installing a Windows 11 update and restarting his PC, Microsoft Edge opened with his Google Chrome tabs from his last session, even though he had not given Edge permission to do so.
He looked into the matter and discovered that this was happening on two devices, and then went to X (formerly Twitter) to reach out and see if others had shared his experience. Turns out this wasn’t an isolated incident, as many users echoed Warren’s experience.
I installed the latest Windows 11 update (KB5034204) and it restarted and automatically opened Microsoft Edge with all the Chrome tabs I had open before installing the update 😲 couldn’t believe my eyes. Has anyone else had this?January 24, 2024
However, Neowin tried to replicate this scenario on PC and virtual machines, but was unable to do so. It is currently unclear whether this was a bug or an intentional move. So far, Microsoft hasn’t clarified this, so I’ve reached out to get comment on the situation, and I’ll update this story if I hear back.
If this is indeed intentional, then it’s a pretty blatant violation of user privacy, and Microsoft risks upsetting many of its users with this move. Users are already frustrated and annoyed by Microsoft’s behavior, such as constantly wondering why users want to download Google Chrome, and constantly harassing users to switch to using Microsoft Edge and Bing.
These kinds of developments will undoubtedly continue to annoy users, which doesn’t bode well considering Microsoft wants to be the go-to AI-enabled software powerhouse (for example, with the introduction of Windows Copilot). On the other hand, if this is a harmless bug, Microsoft should still take quick action to address and fix the problem before it loses any more goodwill.