Here’s the detailed report from Mozilla Research: Over the Edge: How Microsoft’s Design Tactics Compromise Free Browser Choice (PDF, 5MB, 74 pages)
And the announcement post from Mozilla Research referenced in the The Register’s article is here:
Over the Edge: The Use of Design Tactics to Undermine Browser Choice
In order to be able to choose their own browser, people must be free to download it, easily set it to default and to continue using it – all without interference from the operating system. Windows users do not currently enjoy this freedom of choice.
To investigate Microsoft’s tactics and the impact on consumers, Mozilla commissioned Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, independent researchers and experts in harmful design. Today, the researchers have published a report detailing how Microsoft prevents effective browser choice on Windows. In the report, they document how Microsoft places its own browser — Edge — at the center of its operating system and weaponizes Windows’ user interface design to undermine people selecting rival browsers.
In some cases, the use of harmful design tactics is contrary to Microsoft’s own design guidelines. In many cases, it can lead to (and exacerbate) consumer harm and undermine competition from rival browsers. This kind of behavior is particularly concerning for an independent browser like Firefox, which is reliant on the operating systems provided by companies who are also rival browser vendors.
Self-preferencing from operating system/browser providers is an area Mozilla has previously highlighted, for example, in the Five Walled Gardens report. Recently, details of many issues Mozilla experiences competing on major operating systems were published on the Platform Tilt dashboard.
Now, with the implementation of the Digital Markets Act in the European Union marking the start of a wave of global competition regulation, we hoped that the barriers to browser competition would be dismantled. However, even where there is movement in the right direction, improvements have been incomplete and are grudgingly offered only in markets where regulators have forced platform owners to make changes to respect browser choice. For example, Apple’s decision to allow alternative browser engines is only effective in the EU.
Similarly, Microsoft recently pledged to stop some of the actions it takes to force Edge on users who have selected other browsers. Unfortunately, these changes only address a small number of the tactics outlined in this report. And, to make matters worse, they will only be deployed to users in the EEA.
Windows users everywhere, especially in the rest of the world, continue to have their choices inhibited, overridden and undermined by Microsoft’s use of harmful design. Regulatory action around the world is needed to restore browser choice and competition across all of the major platforms.
Here we go with “slams” again.
Are you not familiar with The Reg? Calling this a “slam” is pretty tame for their headline writers on an average day, and is consistent with the well-established editorial tone beloved of their readers. Presumably Microsoft did not literally “force their browser down the throats of Windows users” either.
The nonprofit software house argues that users, without coercion, manipulation, or deception, should be able to: download and install any alternative, legitimate browser; set that browser as their default; and use their chosen browser on an ongoing basis.
The report defines various manipulative interface patterns like “Confirmshaming”, “Forced Action”, “Visual Interference”, and “Disguised Ads.”
Evidence that anti-trust fines are nothing more than a line item business expense to these massive companies.
Everything you say to me (Takes me one step closer to the edge) (And I’m about to break) I need a little room to breathe ('Cause I’m one step closer to the edge) (I’m about to break)
Every M$ user out there.
S L A M S
deleted by creator
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Mozilla on Thursday accused Microsoft of forcing its Edge browser down the throats of Windows users through “dark patterns” – design elements geared to push people towards certain decisions.
“Windows users everywhere, especially in the rest of the world, continue to have their choices inhibited, overridden and undermined by Microsoft’s use of harmful design,” Mozilla wrote in a post about its report.
The salient regulatory action here is Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a set of rules intended to promote fair competition across the bloc.
Mozilla cites the implementation of the DMA – enforcement is set to begin in March – as a reason to hope that the barriers to browser competition will come down.
“With this message Microsoft is taking advantage of the trust gained by their custodial role as OS provider and using it to misdirect users, implying that compliance is necessary for security reasons,” the report alleges.
In our view, these designs coerce, manipulate, or deceive users and are therefore unjustifiable, with the potential to cause a variety of consumer, society, and market harms.
The original article contains 747 words, the summary contains 177 words. Saved 76%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
They used dark magic?
I get what they’re saying but really, I think the reason they are losing so much market share is because FF just isn’t compelling enough versus its competition from a technical sense. The only thing keeping them relevant at all is Manifest v3.
Speaking of which, Mozilla when are you going to let Android users set their homepage to whatever they want? Perhaps I don’t want recommendations from Pocket shoved down my throat or I’m sure utilizing my analytics to facilitate that to myself and others. Why is your half a billion USD a year in donations not enough and you fill you need to make the experience worse on your users?
The browser market is really prime for a newcomer to really shake it up…again.
@Kid_Thunder @ForgottenFlux Can’t you turn off Pocket on the Android app? I just went to settings > Customize Homepage and turned them off.
Yeah though I just checked and all of that, including the “thought-provoking stories” and the sponsored stories plus shortcuts are all on by default.
Even turning it all off, you still can’t set a homepage. I think the closest you can get is set up a “collection.”
Cool but it would certainly help if Firefox was just a bit more user friendly, streamlined and private.
If they could do that they would attract a much bigger crowd.