Browser Choice Alliance, a group of web browser developers, has sent an open letter to microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, accusing the company of abusing its dominant position in the PC market to promote Edge.
The letter calls on Microsoft to shift its focus toward browser competition and adopt policies that give users more choices.
In 2024, the BCA already submitted a petition to the European Commission regarding Microsoft’s browsing practices. This latest letter marks a more direct challenge to Microsoft’s leadership.
What Microsoft is accused of and what the Browser Choice Alliance demands
The BCA letter points out several specific tactics that it claims Microsoft uses to distort competition between browsers:
“Rebate programs that discourage PC makers from pre-installing rival browsers on Windows devices, the inability to completely uninstall Edge from Windows, system updates that restore Edge integration within the operating system, intrusive and confusing prompts and advertisements when users try to download third-party browsers, and deep Edge integration within apps like Teams, Outlook, and Windows Search.”
The letter also highlights the lack of a simple one-click option to completely replace Edge with an alternative browser. The coalition stated that
“Microsoft’s actions make it unnecessarily difficult and, in many cases, impossible for PC users to choose and use their preferred browser across all touchpoints.”
The coalition has urged Microsoft to allow third-party browsers to be pre-installed on Windows devices, remove dark patterns that discourage users from downloading or switching browsers, and allow the complete removal of Edge from Windows integration.
They emphasize that competition should be based on the quality of the browsers and not on the influence of the operating system.
Browser Competition, Regulation, and What’s Next
The BCA maintains that PCs remain a key way to access the web and that their importance is growing with generative AI and web-based services.
It claims that Microsoft’s tactics are harming competition and innovation in the browser market and are attracting the attention of regulators outside the United States.
This letter comes at a time when browser competition is facing regulatory pressure from various sources. BCA members include Google Chrome, which was recently classified as a de facto monopoly in web search and advertising by a US court.
The EU Digital Markets Act also requires Apple and Google to include browser choice screens, and Mozilla reports that these screens have led to an increase of six million users.
Microsoft has not publicly responded to the open letter. The BCA has not said whether it plans to file regulatory complaints if Microsoft does not address its concerns.
