The European Commission's decision not to designate Microsoft Edge as a core platform service has rival browser makers and engineers up in arms. Compe

Rival browsers cry foul after Microsoft Edge slips through EU gatekeeper cracks

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2024-10-07 13:30:07

The European Commission's decision not to designate Microsoft Edge as a core platform service has rival browser makers and engineers up in arms.

Competitors and an advocacy group have sent a letter to the Commission in support of Opera's July request to officials to reconsider the exemption of Microsoft Edge as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

That decision meant Edge won't be subjected to the toughest DMA regulations. "Core" platform services must limit the amount of self-preferencing they do and provide concessions to give their competitors a chance. Microsoft, alongside other companies including Apple and Google, was designated as a gatekeeper under the regulations, but Edge was omitted from the list of products requiring changes to be compliant.

The letter - seen by by The Register - is signed by Vivaldi, Waterfox, Wavebox, and Open Web Advocacy: "The Commission decided not to apply the DMA to Microsoft Edge and, as a result, unfair practices are currently allowed to persist on the Windows’ ecosystem with respect to Edge, unmitigated by the choice screens that exist on mobile."