Windows 11’s settings and advertisements forcing users to keep Microsoft Edge as the default browser has ruffled a few feathers at Vivaldi. The corporation’s co-founder Jon von Tetzchner has penned down a blog post to discuss the serious anti-competition practices of Microsoft.
Recently, Microsoft’s Chromium-based browser has been making headlines for not-so-flattering reasons. In many regards, Microsoft Edge is similar to Chrome or other Chromium-based browsers, but the company has been using new tricks to convince users to give it a chance on Windows 10 or Windows 11.
One of the most latest attempts is about a new banner within the Microsoft Edge browser, which calls out Chrome a browser from 2008 when users try to download it. Additionally, Microsoft has also made it difficult to set Vivaldi or Chrome as the default browser on Windows 11.
Vivaldi is clearly not happy with Microsoft’s latest attempts to convince users to keep Chromium Edge as the default browser on Windows 11.
“Microsoft’s moves seem desperate. And familiar. It is clear they don’t want you to use other browsers,” said Jon von Tetzchner, co-founder and CEO of Vivaldi.
Vivaldi has called out Microsoft for a number of practices that hamper the business of other browsers, including Vivaldi. For example, if you search for Vivaldi on Bing using Microsoft Edge, you’ll be asked to keep using Chromium Edge for a “fast, secure, and modern web experience”.
If you install Vivaldi on Windows ignoring the advice, Windows 10 will again ask you to keep Microsoft Edge because it’s better. On Windows 11, “[this] is even worse”, Jon von Tetzchne said.
As highlighted by Vivaldi, Windows 11 makes basic things like changing the default browser difficult. Unlike Windows 10, Windows 11 requires you to choose the browser first and assign it as default for all file extensions.
You’ll need to manually select the third-party browser for various web-related file extensions, including HTTP, http, htm, HTML, or files. And if you actually try to change the default values for all these file extensions, Windows 11 would display yet another popup highlighting the features of Edge.
“They even offer to pay you to use the browser via their Microsoft Rewards program. This is not the behavior of a confident company developing a superior browser,” Vivaldi founder said. “It’s the behavior of a company openly abusing its powerful position to push people to use its inferior product, simply because it can.”
Vivaldi's founder tells users to complain about Windows 11’s anti-competitive behavior on social media platforms. The corporation has also advised users in the United States and Europe to write to or call antitrust regulators to investigate Microsoft for these anti-competitive practices.
“Most of all, don’t let Microsoft win at this stacked game. Persist until you can use your browser of choice on Windows – and help your friends or colleagues to do the same,” Vivaldi said.
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