Vivaldi CEO criticizes Microsoft Edge for anti-competitive practices
In 2013, the European Union imposed a massive $ 731 million fine on Microsoft for not offering users the option to set a default browser. 8 years have passed since then, has the Redmond company learned its lesson? Vivaldi CEO and co-founder Jón von Tetzchner says no.
In roughly the same time frame, in 2015, Microsoft introduced Edge, built with the internal Chakra core engine, as the new default browser in Windows 10. More importantly, this was the first step in replacing / retiring the legacy Internet Explorer.
What bothered users is that Windows 10 made it difficult to set a different browser as the default driver. You need to go through a couple of hoops in the Settings app, before selecting the app of your choice. This move was heavily criticized, especially by Mozilla. Fast forward to 2021, and the same applies to Windows 11, although the new Edge is based on the Blink engine, from the open source Chromium project. For reference, Vivaldi, Opera also use the same engine.
Microsoft is pushing Edge in multiple ways. It is the operating system and the browser of the company, technically they can advertise whatever they want, which is precisely what they are doing. If it’s competitively ethical, that’s the issue.
Jón von Tetzchner shared a screenshot, taken from his new laptop, on Vivaldi’s blog. The image shows a search query for the word Vivaldi in Microsoft’s search engine, Bing. The main result showed a controversial message that reads: ‘No need to download a new web browser. Microsoft recommends using Microsoft Edge for a fast, secure and modern web experience… »
When I saw that image, I thought: “In no way is that real, it can’t be.” I was wrong, here is a screenshot from my own laptop, with the same message. I should mention that Firefox has my default browser and not Edge.
That’s not something anyone would want to see, least of all if you’re the CEO of a rival browser manufacturer, so it’s understandable that Tetzchner would be upset about this. It continues to criticize Microsoft Edge for anti-competitive practices, including the complicated process of switching browsers, during which Windows 10 again asks you not to switch browsers.
Another screenshot shows Microsoft Edge offering the user to customize their experience, with the recommended settings setting Edge as the default browser. This is a screen that I have seen many times, on new installations of Windows.
Now of course you could ask. Why would you use Edge if you had set Vivaldi as the default browser? That’s a good question, but Windows 10 and 11 are one step ahead. If you use the Start menu for online searches and click on a web result, the operating system will redirect that link to open in Microsoft Edge and not in your default browser. There are ways around this, but not without the help of third-party software.
So if you are not a tech savvy user who switched to a different browser, but used search from Start, opened the link, and accepted Edge’s recommended settings, it will be set as your default browser.
In fairness to Vivaldi, I don’t think Microsoft is targeting the browser. This message also appears when you search for Chrome and Firefox. If you don’t see the message, keep the tab focused, exit the browser, and reopen Edge. When the page loads, you will see the message appear for a few seconds before disappearing.
From a browser manufacturer’s perspective, suggestions like these will literally rob users of their browser. So the complaints are fair, Microsoft should let users make the decision for themselves.
Tetzchner beaten Microsoft’s moves are desperate and they referred to the Microsoft Rewards program as a way to pay users to use the browser. Speaking of which, Brave Rewards does something similar, it has nothing to do with Microsoft, but I want to point out the trend of incentivizing users to stick with the browser.
While some readers may see the tone of Tetzchner’s post as a spiel, as a Firefox user I agree with his points. Microsoft is trying to turn the browser market into a monopoly. It’s a numbers game between Chrome and Edge, the two players holding the majority of the browser shares, while Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, and Brave are declining in the competitive industry.
Of these, Mozilla is the only browser brand that bypasses Microsoft’s shenanigans, to make it easier for Firefox users to set it as their default browser. That said, the latest Insider Preview builds of Windows 11 make switching to a different web browser a bit easier. It’s an improvement, but it’s still not as convenient as it used to be before Windows 10.
Tetzchner has asked users in the US or the EU to write or call representatives to investigate Microsoft in relation to Edge’s anticompetitive. I’m not sure if this will happen, it didn’t happen with Windows 10. People have been getting used to it for 6 years, but things have gotten out of hand recently.
Recent Microsoft Edge antics
Ars Technica’s article focused on how Microsoft Edge started warning users of the risk of downloading Google Chrome. Really, Microsoft? I never support Google, but even I think this is unfair and silly. Edge reported that Edge was displaying some messages mocking Chrome.
Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added confidence of Microsoft.
I hate saving money, ”no one ever said. Microsoft Edge is the best browser for online shopping.
That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge.
The irony in the latter is pure gold. That being said, Google is no better in my opinion, its open source mobile operating system, Android, comes with a dozen apps from the search giant, including Google Chrome, Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Calendar, etc. of these are useful, but a good chunk is bloatware, which you can disable but not permanently uninstall. And for people who value their privacy or don’t use Google services or prefer other apps / services, it’s all unwanted weight used by system storage. Apple’s iOS is similar in this regard, but I don’t think its users expect anything different from the Cupertino company. Android is the most open and customizable operating system that allows you to load applications sideways.
What do you think? Should Microsoft offer users an easier way to set the default browser?
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