Microsoft’s rival browsers allege unfair practices by Edge
Microsoft is giving its Edge web browser an unfair advantage and EU antitrust regulators should subject it to strict EU technology rules, three rival browsers and a group of web developers say in a letter to the European Commission.
The move by Vivaldi, Waterfox, Wavebox and the Open Web Advocacy could boost Norwegian browser company Opera, which took the European Commission to court in July for exempting Edge from the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The groundbreaking DMA has created a list of do’s and don’ts for online services that are considered gateways for businesses to reach end users, with the aim of making it easier for consumers to choose services from different providers.
The companies and the advocacy group said they supported Opera’s challenge.
“It is of the utmost importance that the Commission reconsiders its position,” they said in a letter dated September 17, seen by Reuters.
“Unfair practices are currently allowed to continue in the Windows ecosystem regarding Edge, unmitigated by the choice screens that exist on mobile devices,” they said, pointing to Edge being set as the default browser on all Windows computers.
“No cross-platform browser can match Edge’s unparalleled distribution advantage on Windows. Edge is also the primary gateway for consumers to download a standalone browser on Windows PCs.”
The Commission and Microsoft declined to comment. Edge’s global market share is just over 5%, while market leader Google’s Chrome is at 66 percent, according to StatCounter.
Vivaldi, Waterfox, Wavebox and Open Web Advocacy also claimed that pop-up messages on Edge mischaracterize the features of competing browsers that differentiate them from the Microsoft product.
The European Commission said in its February decision that it does not consider Edge a gatekeeper and that Microsoft’s DMA requires users to be able to easily uninstall software apps.
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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