Microsoft finally backs down on Edge, but only in EU
Windows 11 has caused quite a stir in the tech world. One of the most talked-about changes is the Windows 11 browser's overhaul, which has garnered mixed reactions across the tech world.
Windows 11 comes with a significant transformation in its default web browser. Microsoft has bid farewell to Internet Explorer and Microsoft EdgeHTML, introducing a completely new browser based on Chromium, the same open-source project that powers Google Chrome. This shift aims to provide users with a faster, more secure, and feature-rich browsing experience.
Since this change, the company has been committed to developing the Edge browser for the betterment of its users, but unfortunately, they have recently decided to "force" users to use the Edge browser.
In a recent development, Microsoft has decided to allow users within the European Union, as well as those from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, to regain control over their default web browsers.
Windows 11 browser is changing once again
As of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23531, links in Windows system apps will no longer exclusively open in Microsoft Edge, disregarding the user's preference for a different browser. This shift aligns with regulations in the European Economic Area (EEA), where Windows system components will now utilize the user's chosen default browser to open links.
While this may appear to be a minor adjustment, Microsoft's previous insistence on promoting Edge as the default browser has been a source of discontent among Windows users. Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have incorporated numerous features that present clickable internet links, including help articles, search results, and widget articles. Unfortunately, these links were hardwired to open in Microsoft Edge, regardless of the user's preference.
Microsoft's Edge push
Earlier this year, Microsoft extended this behavior to web links in Outlook emails and Team chats, explaining that it aimed to enhance product experiences. However, the move received pushback from users who wished to maintain control over their choice of browser.
In response, some users even created specialized tools like EdgeDeflector to redirect microsoft-edge:// links used in Microsoft apps and across the OS shell to the default browser's https:// equivalents. However, Microsoft took notice of these efforts, and with Windows 11 build 22494 and beyond, the workaround no longer functions.
It's worth noting that while European users are celebrating this change, users from other regions are left frustrated, as it will not be implemented globally. This disparity has led to some users contemplating workarounds to mimic an EEA location in their operating system settings.
Microsoft has yet to provide a detailed explanation for this regional distinction, and their response to inquiries suggests that no further information is forthcoming at this time. This move underscores the ongoing debate surrounding browser choice and the balance between user preferences and software defaults in the Windows ecosystem.
Featured image credit: Edge/Microsoft.
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“This shift aims to provide users with a faster, more secure, and feature-rich browsing experience.”
Looks like copy-pasting Microsoft’s PR. They just considered it too wasteful to pay for the full engine development while all they need for their own evil deeds is to control the piece of software above the engine. Actually even Google doesn’t want to pay for 100% of Chromium’s development and this is one of the reasons why they open sourced it.
“Since this change, the company has been committed to developing the Edge browser for the betterment of its users”
Seriously, you’re doing it again ? It’s Microsoft we’re talking about !
“In a recent development, Microsoft has decided to allow users within the European Union, as well as those from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, to regain control over their default web browsers.”
Back in the days the EU had forced them to give a choice very explicitly for the default browser, which gave room for Google’s Firefox as an intermediary step for Google’s Chrome to take control of this space. Looks like they did it again now that Microsoft is again trying to evict competitors.
Edge: Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
Interesting observation @owl
That changes things a lot. No longer sensible to say the system is broken. Something like that reeks of sabotage.
Sadly not surprising, it is the type of thing that ‘bad apples’ would get up to.
@Anonymous,
> No longer sensible to say the system is broken. Something like that reeks of sabotage.
Sadly not surprising, it is the type of thing that ‘bad apples’ would get up to.
I agree with ‘bad apples’.
The first time I recognized the occurrence of this problem, “all comments on Avast were deleted”,
so at that time, I felt that it was “intentional deliberate”.
In the first place, Softonic’s acquisition (M&A) was probably because they wanted to take control of “ghacks.net”, where candid and bitter comments are posted.
Perhaps Softonic received a large amount of funding from “Big Tech” and wanted to get rid of the presence (Martin’s ghacks.net) that was getting in the way of the “advertising business” centered on Big Tech.
As proof of that, I feel that Softonic-approved authors are mass production of inferior advertising articles related to Google, Microsoft, Meta, Twitter(X), Avast, and more.
Well, it seems that it was promised in the purchase agreement that Martin and Ashwin’s articles would be published, Comments on articles are still published, although there are anomalies in their association (however in Avast articles, etc., they are completely deleted and do not exist anywhere), but I’m skeptical about future trends (for example, automatic deletion for a limited period, etc.).
Looks like the comments system has been fixed. That said, I think the Internet needs to collectively put Microsoft in their place. Look at how slimy they are behaving now, and consider what they will do if Edge gets big.
Websites: by refusing to serve Microsoft Edge. “We’re sorry, Edge is not compatible with this website, please get a better browser, any browser, because they’re literally all better than Edge. See headlines below.”
Users: by convincing as many of your friends and family to dump Edge as you can. Shouldn’t be hard; just show them stories like these.
https://www.neowin.net/news/edge-sends-images-you-view-online-to-microsoft-here-is-how-to-disable-that/
And this: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/microsoft-edge-is-sending-all-your-visited-pages-to-bing-how-to-turn-it-off
These headlines showcasing Microsoft’s repugnant attitude toward user privacy will scare the crap out of normies. And be sure to remind them that Microsoft also knows their name, their email address, and where they live. If you think they aren’t collating all of this data together, I have a bridge to sell you!
Rival web browser makers: write a background service that enforces the user’s previously-indicated preference to not have Edge opened on their own machine, and prevent Microsoft from hijacking and overriding it. Ask the user for permission to configure this user-protecting feature in the next browser update. Yes this will be a cat and mouse game. But if everyone does their part, Microsoft will be totally screwed and the world will be a much better place.
The really beautiful part, is that none of the above is illegal in any way.
On that note, anti-virus programs should also start blocking all of Microsoft’s advertising in the OS.
“I think the Internet needs to collectively put Microsoft in their place. Look at how slimy they are behaving now, and consider what they will do if Edge gets big.”
“These headlines showcasing Microsoft’s repugnant attitude toward user privacy will scare the crap out of normies.”
Chrome is not better currently. I’m not sure that Edge would be worse than Chrome if it was the most used browser, just roughly the same nightmare.
It’s true that the two examples you give are not present in Chrome as such as far as I know, but Chrome does worse in other fields.
“And be sure to remind them that Microsoft also knows their name, their email address, and where they live”
Google has your mobile phone too. I mean the device you take with you everywhere, not the phone number.
Comments are not fixed, unfortunately! :[
> Looks like the comments system has been fixed.
It doesn’t seem so.
Not yet, Long way to go…
If post a comment on Martin Brinkmann, and Ashwin’s article, it will be linked to comments by other authors (e.g. Shaun: https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/, etc.), and comments on different topics will accumulate one after another, which is continues to expand incoherent messed.
Moreover,
the Comments counter for Martin Brinkmann and Ashwin’s articles stays at “0”.
To accurately track the whereabouts of Comments,
I will need the help of an RSS reader (I’m an iPad user, so I use “Feedly Classic”, but for Windows I prefer the desktop app “RSS Guard”).
What about the new Edge’s internal VPN? It offers 5Gb free for everyone! :S
“Windows 11 has caused quite a stir in the tech world.”
No, it did not.
Edge defector has been abandoned as windows found a way around it, apparently. Any other suggestions for Windows 10 users?
I am using “EdgeBlock”,
and controlling which Browser should open with “BrokenURL” of Windows URL router.
So far, I have been able to control it without any problems.
Edge Blocker v1.9
https://www.sordum.org/9312/edge-blocker-v1-9/
BrokenURL – Broken Event
https://brokenevent.com/projects/brokenurl
Nice news. Next Defender and then IE and Onedrive, everything should have the option to be uninstalled entirely without leaving any trace of the sofware behind. :]