Critics have complained about Microsoft’s efforts to get people to use the Edge browser. A new set of prompts recently appeared when PC users searched for Google’s browser through Edge. Windows 11 also makes it more difficult to change the default browser than previous versions of Windows. The latest set of criticisms comes from Jon von Tetzchner, the co-founder and CEO of Vivaldi. Tetzchner calls Microsoft’s tactics anti-competitive, desperate, and familiar in a recent blog post.
“Microsoft’s moves seem desperate. And familiar. It is clear they don’t want you to use other browsers,” said Tetzchner. “They even offer to pay you to use the browser via their Microsoft Rewards program. This is not the behavior of a confident company developing a superior browser. It’s the behavior of a company openly abusing its powerful position to push people to use its inferior product, simply because it can. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Can you say monopoly?”
Tetzchner also claims that Microsoft is afraid to compete on a level playing field. The CEO calls back to Microsoft’s previous efforts to defeat Netscape navigator in the early days of consumer-focused web browsers.
It’s worth noting that Tetzchner is the CEO of a company that makes a browser that competes with Edge. “Naturally we encourage you to choose Vivaldi, because we think it offers you the best options for privacy, productivity and customization. But, unlike Microsoft, we firmly believe that the choice should be yours,” said Tetzchner at the end of his post.
Microsoft has also forced people to use Edge when clicking certain elements within Windows, such as the widgets panel. This move has also drawn criticism. Some apps and browsers had implemented ways around this, but the workaround required is no longer functional.
