A HOT POTATO: The Browser Choice Alliance (BCA) was recently formed to promote genuine competition in the web browser market. The organization is now once again pursuing that goal, accusing Microsoft of abusing its dominant position in the PC industry to push Edge onto Windows users.
A couple of years after petitioning the European Commission to address Microsoft's "dark patterns" that limit consumer choice, the Browser Choice Alliance is taking a more confrontational stance. The coalition of browser developers has warned Microsoft that enough is enough, urging the company to fundamentally change its approach to the browser market and how users are treated.
In a recent letter sent to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the BCA again accuses the company of abusing its dominant position in the PC industry. It argues that Microsoft is leveraging its "immensely powerful" Windows monopoly, along with its widely used productivity applications, to push users toward browsing the web with Edge.
The BCA also alleges that Microsoft uses specific, well-tested tactics to distort market conditions and restrict user choice. In particular, it accuses the company of rebate programs that discourage the pre-installation of rival browsers on Windows devices, the inability to fully uninstall Edge, and the use of system updates to restore Edge integration within the OS.
