Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) has initiated an antitrust investigation into Microsoft following a formal complaint from Norwegian browser developer Opera. The complaint, filed on July 29, 2025, alleges that Microsoft engages in anti-competitive practices by pre-installing its Edge browser as the default on Windows devices, thereby hindering fair competition in the browser market. (reuters.com)
Opera contends that Microsoft's actions prevent rival browsers from competing on their merits. Aaron McParlan, Opera's General Counsel, stated, "Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn. First, browsers like Opera are locked out of important preinstallation opportunities. And then Microsoft frustrates users' ability to download and use alternative browsers." (reuters.com)
In Brazil's desktop browser market as of June 2025, Opera holds a 6.78% share, while Microsoft's Edge accounts for 11.52%, and Google Chrome leads with 75%. (reuters.com)
CADE has opened an administrative inquiry and has given Microsoft until August 15 to respond to Opera's allegations. The investigation will also examine Microsoft's licensing practices for its Windows operating system, Microsoft 365 software, and the Jumpstart AI program, which assists clients in building AI agents for routine tasks. (reuters.com)
This is not Opera's first complaint against Microsoft. In 2007, Opera filed a grievance with the European Commission regarding Microsoft's bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows, which resulted in a €561 million fine for Microsoft. (reuters.com)
As of now, Microsoft has not publicly responded to the latest complaint.
Source: Reuters https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/microsoft-brazilian-antitrust-regulators-crosshairs-after-opera-complaint-2025-08-01/
