2 min Applications

Will Microsoft continue to impose Edge browser in Europe after all?

Will Microsoft continue to impose Edge browser in Europe after all?

It seems that Microsoft is not making any changes to Windows after all to allow users to open links with their default browser. So Edge will continue to be forced on users.

Earlier, Windows Insider Preview build 23531 no longer seemed to impose the web browser Edge as the default browser. The change was considered one of the first consequences of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

However, Windows insider and developer Daniel Aleksandersen informed The Register that he did not observe any change. “As far as I know, nothing has changed since Windows 11-stable. I have done quite extensive testing and can’t find any links anywhere in Windows 11 Dev Insider that stopped the forced opening of Edge instead of the default setting.”

Aleksandersen is the creator of EdgeDeflector, a tool to force the OS to open the chosen default browser and stop Microsoft’s forced behaviour. Furthermore, he works for Vivaldi Technologies, a competitor to Edge. He states that his concern about Edge’s imposition is unrelated to his profession.

Also read: Why Microsoft keeps pushing the limit by forcing its software on you

Influence of DMA?

In announcing the products and services that must comply with the DMA, the European Commission did not yet figure out whether or not Bing will have to comply with the legislation. Certainty will come after an investigation that has to be completed by early February 2024 at the latest.

Possibly, the European Commission’s doubts have reversed Microsoft’s decision. Moreover, the DMA will not become punitive until March 2024.