Opera claims Microsoft is using “anticompetitive practices” to force Windows users to stick with the Edge browser.
“Microsoft’s tactics are unjustified, frustrating to users, and only getting more severe,” Norway-based Opera alleged on Tuesday.
The company filed a petition with Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), though it claims the problem affects users globally. At issue is Microsoft’s long-standing practice of preinstalling Edge and making it the default browser on Windows devices.
“In addition, the complaint challenges Microsoft’s multiple manipulative design tactics or ‘dark patterns’ that steer Windows PC users away from alternative browsers and towards Edge, and make it difficult for users to change defaults,” Opera says.
Windows can show “obtrusive banners and messages discouraging users from downloading alternate browsers” when they start searching for them on Edge, Opera says. Windows also opens PDFs and other documents with Edge rather than third-party browsers.
“Opera’s concerns are shared by many other alternative browsers,” the company said without elaborating. By filing the formal complaint, Opera is hoping CADE will investigate Microsoft and impose remedies with the goal of creating a level playing field for browser providers.
Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But in the European Union, the company has complied with recent fair competition regulations, allowing local users to uninstall Edge from Windows. Over a decade ago, Microsoft in the EU even had to display a “web browser choice screen,” allowing Windows users to pick from a variety of browsers.
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It was unclear whether Opera plans to take similar action in the US. But the company has been urging EU courts to designate Edge “as a gatekeeper service,” which would require the browser to be regulated under tighter rules.
In the meantime, Edge currently has a 13% share of the desktop market, while Google’s Chrome remains the dominant platform with a near 67% share, according to Statcounter. Opera only holds a 2.6% share.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
