Microsoft is reportedly subtly steering users toward Edge, thereby disadvantaging other browsers.
Microsoft still uses various design choices in Windows and its online services to steer users toward the Edge browser. This is according to Over the Edge 2.0, a study commissioned by Mozilla. According to the researchers, Microsoft deliberately makes it more difficult to download, set up, and continue using alternative browsers.
The report compares the situation in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. It shows that Microsoft has adjusted certain practices where European regulations require it, but largely continues to apply them outside of Europe.
Pop-ups, default settings, and Copilot
The report cites several examples of dark patterns. For instance, a banner appears in Bing with the message “All you need is right here” when users try to download another browser. Edge is also reportedly pinned to the taskbar by default, and some notifications are said to prompt users to choose Edge as their default browser.
Additionally, the study criticizes the integration of Copilot. According to the researchers, the AI assistant opens web links in Edge by default, even when another browser is set as the default. In the US and India, options to share data with Copilot are also reportedly enabled by default.
Market share remains limited
Despite the alleged steering, Edge is not growing spectacularly. According to figures from Statcounter, the browser has a global market share of just over 10%, compared to about 13% a year earlier. Firefox rose from 5.84% to 6.44% over the same period.
Mozilla does qualify those figures. The company points out that on Windows, Edge was the only major browser to gain market share over the past two years. According to the researchers, previously applied steering may have played a role, although this has not been proven.