Microsoft's Rival Browsers Allege Unfair Practices by Edge, Wish to Involve EU Antitrust Regulators

According to three rival browsers and a cluster of Web developers, Microsoft hands its Edge Web browser an undue advantage and EU antitrust regulators should subject it to tough EU tech rules.

An effort by Vivaldi, Waterfox, Wavebox and Open Web Advocacy might be a boon for Norwegian browser company Opera, which in July took the European Commission to court for exempting Edge from the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The landmark DMA laid down a list of do’s and don’ts for online services, in its view a gateway for businesses to reach end-users. The goal was to facilitate easier choices for consumers when choosing services from multiple providers.

The companies and the advocacy group said they supported Opera’s challenge.

“It is paramount that the Commission reconsiders its position,” they said in a letter dated September 17 seen by Reuters.

“Unfair practices are already allowed to continue on the Windows’ ecosystem with regard to Edge, unmitigated by the choice screens that exist on mobile,” they claim, pointing to Edge set as the default on all Windows computers. “No platform independent browser can hope to compete with Edge’s unparalleled distribution advantage on Windows. Edge is, further still, the most important gateway for consumers to download an independent browser on Windows PCs.”

Neither the Commission nor Microsoft would comment.
Edge shares the global market for just over 5 per cent, with Google’s Chrome, which leads the market, standing at 66% according to StatCounter.
In addition to Microsoft, Vivaldi, Waterfox, Wavebox and Open Web Advocacy objected to the way pop-up messages on Edge mischaracterize the features of competing browsers that set them apart from the Microsoft product.

The European Commission said it hadn’t dealt with Edge as a gatekeeper in its decision in February and required that Microsoft allow users to easily uninstall any software apps.