I just got this popup while playing New vegas. I don't even use chrome, i've switched to firefox. How can this be allowed? Also, this is Win10
this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2023
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I'm not even remotely a legal expert and I don't know what type of popup that is but I think the anti-competitive piece is "could Google use the same technique to push the user to switch to google search on Edge or not?".
If this was an ad from a web page OP had opened or from the game and if clicking "Yes" only directed the user to a site with instructions on how to switch default search engine on Chrome, then yes, obnoxious but probably fair. Google could strike a deal with the game developers to push their search engine to Edge users or buy an ad. Someone writing a new browser or search engine will probably have considerably less money than Google but could reasonably do something similar to try and gain market share.
On the other hand, if that popup comes from Windows itself and especially if clicking "Yes" directly changes Chrome's settings, then this is Microsoft using their ubiquitous (on desktops) OS to nudge more users to switch a competitor's browser to their own search engine. Google, or even less a new competitor. would probably not have the same type of OS-level access to switch the settings of a different browser.
Google already does this - and has been for years - use Google Search or Gmail on a non-Google browser and it will "suggest" you use Chrome
Less on edge, but google goes father actually. Google pays Mozilla to make google search the default aearch engine. You could argue thats worse then creating a notification to switch (but doesnt actually do it yet till you allow it to)
Disagree. OS pop-ups are at a much more basic system level than going to a specific site and then it might prompt a pop-up.
In the case of firefox, its not going to a specific site, it would be that way when installed. Its like saying mocrosoft should just outright overwrite the default search engine on amy browser without asking you vs asking you via popup, unless youre saying that the former is better.
Not at all. The difference here is that Google agreed that with Mozilla themselves. They don't overwrite the browser settings when you open Google. I agree with the sentiment that Google should have less influence and alternative search engines should get more space, but Mozilla itself, Google's competitor, is who agreed to have their search engine as the default.
It also comes to mind that Microsoft, again, insists on asking you to change to Bing on Edge every update, even if you already picked a different search engine.
But thats the perspective on the business to business difference. To the end user, its the default regardless, as they didnt have a say in that transaction. It would be on the same bout on those who hate preinstalled codecs and applications, which law wise, led to the creation of Windows N editions.
Even in the linux space, people have differing opinions on preinstalled stuff, and goes deeper with hard line options like no propietary preinstalled stuff and only FOSS
Weren't we talking about companies being anti-competitive? So the competitor dynamics matter here. Also, I don't recall Firefox ever asking you to return to Google or returning to it unprompted if you change your search engine.
They matter between companies, but the pop up is an end user interaction, which also matters.
The topic is a anti conpany to company, and a milder consumer interaction event.
The situation between mozilla and google is pro conpany, but can be seen as more anti consumer as it has a default.
Treating the dealing between companies and consumers as one single entity is not a good way to look at it. By that logic, ISPs are good companies because they coordinate to not compete agaisnt each other when of course that is far from the case. Yes they do matter, but how the power ends up in the consumers end also matters.
I see your point but the deal between Google and Mozilla doesn't prevent people from changing default search engines or even nags them to change back. Firefox even has multiple search engines integrated by default. The only thing that it does is make it so Google will be the preset. So, really, I don't see how the user is being harmed.
Couldnt you say the same thing about this situation, choice is given to you as two buttons with your approval.
The difference is, one asked for your approval at an annoying time, the other picked one for you by default, and you have to change it to something else after.
One is not respecting the user who already made a deliberate decision to change from the default. To be fair, if this appears once it's not a big deal. But if they keep nagging, then it's disrespecting their users and their choices, to get an advantage over the competition.
I can see many many examples of how bad Microsoft and Google can be. However this one I honestly don't understand: how's Google supporting Mozilla's competing product anti- competitive? Are they forcing Mozilla to do things they don't want in return?
I am a Firefox uaer and on every install on a new machine (or phone) I switch the default search engine to duckduckgo. But for good or for bad Google is the search engine most people use (and would use on FF too even if it wasn't the default). I don't think Google needs to force Firefox 3%-ish market share to use their search engine.
By setting defaults, its the reason why Microsoft was accused for being anti conpetitive by having a default browser installed https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp
And why Windows N version exists
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10_editions (look under N/KN in regional variations)
Its why google also for european devices offer a default search engine selection as setting a default is considered anti competiive in EU
https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-google-antitrust-idUSL4N24Y2GY