If you've ever used Windows 11, it's no secret that the OS prioritizes Edge over competing browsers. But Mozilla doesn't think you should settle for a lack of choice. In fact, it's accusing Windows of being full of dark patterns and harmful design techniques that force you toward Microsoft's browser.

Mozilla reps tell me they've met with Microsoft about their concerns, but that the company wasn't responsive. "They'll do the minimum the law requires to respect user choice," explains Kush Amlani, Mozilla's counsel overseeing global competition and regulatory work. Mozilla isn’t the only browser maker criticizing Microsoft, either. Vivaldi lead Jon Stephenson von Tetzsner told me he switched to Linux because Microsoft’s OS is so obnoxious. (I reached out to Microsoft for this story, but it declined to comment.)

As someone who's been using and writing about Windows for many years, I increasingly agree with the above sentiments. I'm sick of all the ways Windows 11 tries to get me to use Edge, so I can't imagine how annoyed more casual users of the OS feel.

Europe Proves Microsoft Can Be Forced to Change

Mozilla recently marked 100 days since it released an 87-page report detailing the ways in which Microsoft pushes Edge on Windows PCs. The organization says Microsoft isn't living up to the "principled approach to app pinning and browser defaults" it promised to abide by in 2023. One example is how Windows often displays a “Let’s finish setting up your PC” pop-up after an OS update. This screen has an enabled-by-default option to “use recommended browser settings,” which makes Edge the default web browser.

However, that screen doesn't appear in Europe. European laws now force Microsoft to make Windows more respectful of user choices.

For instance, in European countries, the Start menu opens links in your default web browser rather than in Edge, as it does everywhere else. Amlani says Mozilla wants Microsoft to release the European version of Windows to the rest of the world. However, he thinks this will require government action. As he puts it, "Microsoft can do better when it's forced."

Beyond government action, Mozilla wants to see the public pressure Microsoft to change its tactics, pointing out that recent changes specifically address user feedback. The company is no doubt aware that many other Windows users dislike the way Windows promotes the Edge browser, but the dissatisfaction clearly hasn't been loud enough.

Mozilla argues that Microsoft's tactics are actively hurting its users. "A lot of ordinary people don't necessarily notice that their browser has been switched," claims Amlani. He says the company hears from Firefox users who are confused about why their bookmarks have vanished after Windows changed their default browser to Edge, for example.

Microsoft Isn't the Only One Trapping You in an Ecosystem

Microsoft isn’t uniquely hostile to user choice. For instance, Apple’s iOS doesn’t let you install true third-party browsers in most of the world; competing apps all still use Safari under the hood. Users, again, have more choice in Europe, where laws force Apple to allow fully alternative browsers. Google’s ChromeOS and Googlebook OS also rely heavily on Chrome. In other words, both Apple and Google go far beyond what Microsoft is doing on Windows to favor their own browsers.

Mozilla acknowledges that it has concerns about large tech companies beyond Microsoft. "They want to steer you to their own search engines, their own applications, and then create this closed ecosystem,” says Mozilla's Ajit Varma, head of Firefox.

Even I'm Exhausted by Edge's Encroachments

Windows 11's constant attempts to make me use Edge are beyond frustrating because I genuinely want to like the OS. I’ve previously written about wanting Microsoft to roll out Windows 11's user-friendly European customizations everywhere, and I fully stand by that. Microsoft has moderated Edge's presence in a few other ways, but these efforts don't go nearly far enough.

It's a shame that something as basic as choosing a default browser is at odds with most tech companies' desires to dictate the software you use. These organizations will always prioritize profits, and pushing their products is one way to ensure that. With Windows as the desktop OS market share leader, Microsoft is potentially under more pressure to appear neutral than Apple and Google, but none of these companies should have such anti-consumer policies.

Mozilla Has Motives, Too—But It's Still Right

Of course, Mozilla has a financial interest in competing with Edge on Windows. Recent annual reports show the Mozilla Foundation earns more than $600 million per year in revenue, most of which comes from Google paying to be the default search engine in Firefox. Although Mozilla is attempting to diversify its revenue with products like the Firefox VPN, the company’s income largely depends on its contracts with Google. These agreements are confidential, but I'd bet that Mozilla can likely negotiate higher payments from Google if Firefox has more active users.

I understand that both Mozilla and Microsoft are large organizations pursuing their business incentives, but I still side with the former here. If the only way Microsoft can get people to use Edge is by forcing or tricking them, it really needs to build a better browser that more people prefer. I've gotten good enough at thwarting these shenanigans, but no one should have to fight their OS this hard on something as simple as a browser preference.