Mozilla Calls Out Microsoft Again, Says Edge Still Uses ‘Deceptive’ Tactics to Lock in Windows Users
Windows Search and Widgets continue to ignore users' default browser settings by opening links in Edge, while the browser still displays promotional banners on Google's Chrome download page.
Mozilla has renewed its criticism of Microsoft, alleging that the tech giant continues to use deceptive design practices to push Windows users toward its Edge browser despite previous scrutiny over its browser choice policies.
The claims come in a new report, Over The Edge 2.0, conducted by deceptive design experts Dr. Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles. Commissioned by Mozilla, the report concludes that Microsoft still makes it difficult for users to download, set, and continue using browsers other than Edge across Windows, Bing, and Copilot. Brignull and Bowles carried out a similar research in 2023.
"We found that Microsoft does still employ a number of harmful design patterns, even in the European Economic Area (EEA). This research required us to capture over a thousand screenshots, installing Windows 10 and 11 over and over in different regions: India, UK, USA and Germany (EEA). This was a BIG piece of research with lots of detailed findings," Brignull said.
According to the report, Windows Search and Widgets continue to ignore users' default browser settings by opening links in Edge, while the browser still displays promotional banners on Google's Chrome download page. The researchers also found that Windows Backup does not consistently preserve browser preferences when users migrate from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
The study evaluated Windows 10 and Windows 11 across the US, India, the UK, and Germany. It found that Microsoft offers a comparatively fairer browser choice experience in the EEA, where the Digital Markets Act requires major technology platforms to support user choice. However, most of the harmful design patterns remain unchanged in markets such as India, the US, and Brazil.
"Microsoft has shown that it can respect user choice. When regulators are watching, they make some changes. We would ask them to do it globally, rather than relying on competition regulation to force their hand," said Kush Amlani, Mozilla Global Competition and Regulatory Lead.
The report also raises concerns about Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, claiming that web links opened through the assistant are rendered in an Edge side panel regardless of a user's default browser.
With Windows powering around 65% of desktop devices globally, Mozilla is urging Microsoft to extend the browser choice protections implemented in Europe to users worldwide, including India, where Windows 10 adoption remains among the highest.
