Microsoft Edge: many a PC Gamer knows it as a stepping stone between them and their actual browser of choice—no matter how much the software pleads with you to reconsider. But rather than simply dismissing this as looking a bit desperate, the Browser Choice Alliance argues this is just one instance of ‘deceptive tactics‘ by Microsoft to discourage competition.
In fact, Opera, a member of the Browser Choice Alliance, has filed a complaint with Brazil’s antitrust regulator about Microsoft’s allegedly anticompetitive behaviour. The regulator, CADE, has since launched an investigation that is particularly interested in Microsoft’s ‘Jumpstart program,’ which allegedly pushes PC manufacturers towards including Edge as the default internet browser on their machines.
Therefore, CADE has sent regulatory letters to ten different companies—including but not limited to Asus, Acer, Dell, and HP—requesting information.
If the companies did participate in the ‘Jumpstart program,’ the letter requests information on what types of “third-party software—including, but not limited to, browsers” could or could not be preinstalled. It also inquires what conditions had to be met for preinstallation, and what regulations may have prohibited the preinstallation of third-party software. Lastly, the letter explicitly asks, “To the best of your company’s knowledge, what would be the expected financial and/or commercial impact in the event of withdrawal from/termination of the Jumpstart Program?”
Though these requests for information represent the investigation’s earliest phase, The Browser Choice Alliance said via email, “This marks a significant step towards addressing anti-competitive behaviors that restrict consumer choice and harm fair market competition.”
The BCA also say “to what extent these manufacturers initially configured their devices in Windows ‘S mode‘,” should also be scrutinised. They frame ‘S Mode’ as “a stripped-down version of its operating system that locked users into Microsoft Edge and blocked installation of any apps outside the Microsoft Store.” The Alliance also shared that “Microsoft quietly discontinued S mode last year according to a disclosure in October 2025.”
Microsoft is hardly the only massive corporation being accused of anticompetitive behaviour. Back in 2024, U.S. district judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had violated antitrust laws when it used exclusivity agreements to maintain its monopoly over online search—a decision Google is now appealing, claiming that “People use Google because they want to, not because they’re forced to.“
Speaking of appeals, the FTC is also appealing an antitrust ruling of its own; A judge last year ruled in Meta’s favour, saying the company formally known as Facebook had not violated antitrust laws when it bought a number of its competitors, though the FTC have since said it “will continue fighting its historic case against Meta.” The FTC’s suit was originally filed all the way back in 2020—so with that in mind, it’s important to stress that CADE’s investigation into Microsoft is only just getting started.
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