Two years after Mozilla first commissioned experts to examine Microsoft’s browser behavior, a new report titled Over The Edge 2.0 finds that the tech giant continues to steer users toward its Edge browser through deceptive design patterns—except in regions where strict regulation forces fairer treatment. The study, led by Dr. Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, tested Windows 10 and Windows 11 in the USA, India, the UK, and Germany, and found a stark regulatory divide.
Key Findings
- Windows Search and Widgets still ignore users’ default browser preferences and open links in Edge.
- Edge injects a banner directly into the Chrome download page on google.com, regardless of the user’s chosen browser.
- Windows Backup fails to consistently preserve browser preferences when migrating from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
- In the European Economic Area (EEA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has forced Microsoft to remove many harmful patterns, creating a relatively fairer user experience for browser choice. Outside the EEA—especially in India, Brazil, and the US—nearly every documented harmful pattern remains in force.
Mozilla argues that the default browser experience should not depend on jurisdiction. “Microsoft has shown that it can respect user choice. When regulators are watching, they make some changes. We would ask them to do it globally, rather than relying on competition regulation to force their hand,” said Kush Amlani, Global Competition and Regulatory Lead at Mozilla.
Why This Matters
Windows powers roughly 65% of desktop devices worldwide, affecting more than 1.4 billion users. In India, nearly 43% of Windows users were still on Windows 10 as of Q1 2026—the highest share among tested regions. Browser defaults are increasingly shaping how people access information and encounter emerging AI services. The report highlights that Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant, forces web links to open in a side panel rendered by Edge, regardless of the user’s default browser. If such AI-driven self-preferencing goes unchecked, the choices made today could shape the digital landscape for the next decade.
Closing the Gap in India
India is one of the world’s largest Windows markets and is developing its own approach to digital-market regulation, including potential ex ante obligations for large gatekeepers. The report’s findings are directly relevant to this conversation: regulatory pressure has already improved user choice in the EU, while the persistence of harmful designs elsewhere shows the need for stronger safeguards. Mozilla is calling on Microsoft to ship the fairer designs it already builds in the EEA to all regions worldwide.