The latest wave of changes to Windows 11 might be delighting users across Europe, but for many Americans, the improvements remain out of reach—reserved only for those living within the European Economic Area (EEA). While Microsoft frames these updates as milestones for openness and user choice, a closer examination reveals their driving force: compliance with the strict requirements of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The result is a noticeable digital divide, where American users miss out on the streamlined, less-restrictive experience enjoyed by EU residents. This development prompts the question: why does geography dictate the quality of a Windows 11 experience, and what do these updates actually mean for users worldwide?
A landmark set of regulations, the DMA was enacted to curb the dominance of so-called “gatekeepers”—large tech giants, including Microsoft—by forcing them to open their platforms to fairer competition. The act mandates increased interoperability, less bundling of default software, and restrictions on using collected data to squash competitors. For Microsoft, whose hold over desktop computing is virtually unrivaled, these rules necessitated dramatic changes, especially in the EEA.
As of spring 2024, Microsoft has rolled out a suite of Windows 11 and Windows 10 updates that allow EEA-based users to uninstall system apps like Microsoft Edge, Bing, and OneDrive. Moreover, the company’s data collection from third-party apps must not grant it an unfair edge over competing software developers—a significant check on Microsoft’s traditional ecosystem lock-in tactics.
Now, in the EEA, Microsoft has been forced to ease up. According to a company blog post and corroborated by multiple tech reportings, Bing searches and widget clicks will honor your actual default browser setting, sending links where you want them—not funneling them unsolicited into Edge. Edge itself will only ask about becoming your default if you open it purposefully, via its Taskbar icon or Windows search. Even then, the prompt only appears in user-initiated circumstances, as opposed to ambushing users at every turn.
This subtle yet meaningful adjustment has been active since late May 2024 with Edge version 137.0.3296.52 for EEA users. Furthermore, EEA versions of Windows 11 will let you fully uninstall Edge, and once it’s gone, you won’t be harassed with pop-ups from other Microsoft apps asking you to reinstall it. For some, this represents the most significant shift in Microsoft’s “browser wars” approach since the dawn of Internet Explorer.
By contrast, American users remain shackled by the status quo. They continue to see Edge as the OS’s looming shadow—always there, sometimes intervening even after a competitor like Chrome or Firefox is declared the default.
This means fewer manual tweaks, fewer unwanted Edge pop-ups, and a smoother initial setup process. It isn’t a flashy change, but it’s one that profoundly improves the user experience—particularly for less technical users who may not know how to wrest control of their system from Microsoft’s defaults.
For U.S. users, these programs remain inextricably embedded in their Windows installations—a source of recurring frustration as these apps can use system resources, bandwidth, and offer persistent notifications, even if undesired.
The change underscores the DMA’s intent to break platform monopolies—and in this instance, Microsoft has complied by allowing more customization and genuine interoperability.
Additionally, Microsoft is likely wary of setting a global precedent that could reduce its leverage in other large markets. By restricting these user-friendly features to the EEA, the company retains bundling advantages and data-driven market power everywhere else.
Microsoft contends that these regional differences are simply a matter of legal compliance. Yet for millions of American users, it feels more like being short-changed—denied the kind of digital citizenship now taken for granted across Europe.
In the meantime, some U.S.-based power users have resorted to testing EEA builds or using virtual private networks (VPNs) to spoof their region, but these solutions are cumbersome and might violate terms of service. Furthermore, full feature parity is not assured and risks system instability or unsupported use scenarios.
For Microsoft, maintaining two classes of user experience is not without risk. As Windows increasingly underpins not just desktops but also critical digital infrastructure worldwide, inconsistent regional experiences could fuel further scrutiny by both users and governments.
Ultimately, this digital divide is not a matter of engineering limitation, but of policy and principle. As global demand mounts for greater autonomy and transparency in our most essential digital tools, one hopes that U.S. users will not have to wait for legislative catch-up or piecemeal hacks to obtain the same user-first improvements. For now, the Windows 11 experience is a stark example of how laws, not just code, shape the reality of software—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, and always with consequences that ripple far beyond the boundaries of any single market.
Source: XDA Americans are missing out on some of the best updates Microsoft has made to Windows 11
The Digital Markets Act: A Catalyst for Change
A landmark set of regulations, the DMA was enacted to curb the dominance of so-called “gatekeepers”—large tech giants, including Microsoft—by forcing them to open their platforms to fairer competition. The act mandates increased interoperability, less bundling of default software, and restrictions on using collected data to squash competitors. For Microsoft, whose hold over desktop computing is virtually unrivaled, these rules necessitated dramatic changes, especially in the EEA.As of spring 2024, Microsoft has rolled out a suite of Windows 11 and Windows 10 updates that allow EEA-based users to uninstall system apps like Microsoft Edge, Bing, and OneDrive. Moreover, the company’s data collection from third-party apps must not grant it an unfair edge over competing software developers—a significant check on Microsoft’s traditional ecosystem lock-in tactics.
The Windows 11 Experience: Europe vs. America
Browser Freedom: Edge Takes a Backseat
Perhaps the most user-visible improvement for EEA residents is the shift in how Microsoft handles default web browsers. Previously, regardless of a user’s stated preferences, Windows 11 had a habit of nudging people back toward Microsoft Edge—sometimes aggressively. For example, clicking web links from widgets or the lock screen would always open Edge. Even simply launching Edge would trigger a prompt to make it the default, regardless of whether the user’s intent was to use Edge regularly or just to install another browser.Now, in the EEA, Microsoft has been forced to ease up. According to a company blog post and corroborated by multiple tech reportings, Bing searches and widget clicks will honor your actual default browser setting, sending links where you want them—not funneling them unsolicited into Edge. Edge itself will only ask about becoming your default if you open it purposefully, via its Taskbar icon or Windows search. Even then, the prompt only appears in user-initiated circumstances, as opposed to ambushing users at every turn.
This subtle yet meaningful adjustment has been active since late May 2024 with Edge version 137.0.3296.52 for EEA users. Furthermore, EEA versions of Windows 11 will let you fully uninstall Edge, and once it’s gone, you won’t be harassed with pop-ups from other Microsoft apps asking you to reinstall it. For some, this represents the most significant shift in Microsoft’s “browser wars” approach since the dawn of Internet Explorer.
By contrast, American users remain shackled by the status quo. They continue to see Edge as the OS’s looming shadow—always there, sometimes intervening even after a competitor like Chrome or Firefox is declared the default.
Enhanced Default App Setting: More Types, Less Hassle
For years, Windows default apps management has confused and frustrated users. In the U.S. and most other regions, clicking ‘Set default’ for a browser only changes its association with web-based protocols—http, https, and basic .htm/.html files. However, in the EEA, Microsoft is obligated to take this a step further. Now, more file and link types become automatically associated with your chosen browser, reducing the chances for Edge (or any other Microsoft-preferred program) to sneak back in through obscure file associations.This means fewer manual tweaks, fewer unwanted Edge pop-ups, and a smoother initial setup process. It isn’t a flashy change, but it’s one that profoundly improves the user experience—particularly for less technical users who may not know how to wrest control of their system from Microsoft’s defaults.
Unbundling and True App Removal
The ability to uninstall Microsoft Edge and OneDrive used to be off-limits. While technically possible through convoluted workarounds, official support was lacking. Now, in the EEA, users can cleanly remove these apps as they see fit—a straightforward uninstallation, with no residual system prompts or broken functionality. OneDrive, for example, no longer occupies precious Taskbar real estate, nor does it nag users into synchronizing their personal files to Microsoft’s cloud.For U.S. users, these programs remain inextricably embedded in their Windows installations—a source of recurring frustration as these apps can use system resources, bandwidth, and offer persistent notifications, even if undesired.
Windows Search: Openness Unlocked
Another major difference is in Windows Search. While U.S. versions are limited to proprietary results and sniffing out links using Bing, EEA builds embrace third-party providers. Users in Europe will soon be able to view results from multiple sources side by side and reorder or disable web search providers altogether—a level of control largely missing elsewhere. This not only creates new opportunities for alternate search engines, but it also dampens Microsoft’s ability to nudge users toward its own services at every turn.The change underscores the DMA’s intent to break platform monopolies—and in this instance, Microsoft has complied by allowing more customization and genuine interoperability.
Critical Analysis: Is Europe’s Windows 11 Really Better?
Notable Strengths
- User Autonomy: The EEA updates empower users to meaningfully control which apps and services reside on their systems and how their links and files are handled. This is a dramatic improvement over the forced defaults and constant nudging endemic to the American release.
- Reduced Digital Friction: European Windows 11 users spend less time fighting their operating system’s preferences, making for a smoother onboarding process and a less intrusive everyday experience.
- Market Fairness: By unbundling core Microsoft services and allowing easy opt-outs, the updates foster healthier competition, giving rival browsers, cloud solutions, and search providers a fairer shot at gaining (and maintaining) users.
- Privacy and Data Protection: With explicit requirements not to leverage data from third-party apps unfairly, there is added assurance—at least in principle—that Microsoft won’t use user data to undermine competitors.
Potential Risks and Limitations
- Fragmentation: The divergence in features between EEA and U.S. versions of Windows risks a fragmented user experience globally. Support and documentation may become confusing, with solutions relevant to one region not working for another.
- Circumvention by Vendors: There’s always a possibility that Microsoft finds loopholes in regulatory language, introducing more subtle forms of bundling or preference setting that shift the competitive landscape back in its favor.
- Performance and Reliability: While early reports suggest removing apps like Edge and OneDrive does not destabilize Windows 11, future updates could introduce regressions, especially if the architecture was built with these components as assumed constants.
- Privacy Claims Require Scrutiny: Microsoft’s assertion that it will not exploit telemetry data from third-party apps is encouraging, but without robust independent oversight, users must take such statements with a degree of skepticism. Regulators will need to remain vigilant to verify and enforce these commitments.
Why Is the U.S. Left Behind?
The short answer: regulation, or lack thereof. The DMA’s requirements are legally binding for Microsoft only within the EEA; in the U.S., similar laws protecting consumer choice and market competition remain stalled or non-existent. American antitrust action has struggled for decades to keep pace with the rapid shift to digital ecosystems.Additionally, Microsoft is likely wary of setting a global precedent that could reduce its leverage in other large markets. By restricting these user-friendly features to the EEA, the company retains bundling advantages and data-driven market power everywhere else.
Microsoft contends that these regional differences are simply a matter of legal compliance. Yet for millions of American users, it feels more like being short-changed—denied the kind of digital citizenship now taken for granted across Europe.
Will These Features Come to the U.S.?
Industry watchers suggest that, absent new regulation, the answer is likely no. Microsoft has little corporate incentive to relinquish its home-turf advantages without strong external pressure. However, history shows that American tech policy often follows the lead set by the EU—eventually. Should U.S. lawmakers pass analogous legislation, American users could see similar freedoms expand across their version of Windows 11. Until then, any workaround or unofficial hack remains unsupported and potentially unstable.In the meantime, some U.S.-based power users have resorted to testing EEA builds or using virtual private networks (VPNs) to spoof their region, but these solutions are cumbersome and might violate terms of service. Furthermore, full feature parity is not assured and risks system instability or unsupported use scenarios.
The Bigger Question: Should Choice Be a Regional Privilege?
The split in Windows 11’s user experience raises ethical questions about whose interests operating systems should serve. The EEA’s gains illustrate what is technically—and practically—possible when strong consumer protection meets active regulatory enforcement. Meanwhile, the American experience reinforces the notion that market forces alone are not always aligned with end-user needs.For Microsoft, maintaining two classes of user experience is not without risk. As Windows increasingly underpins not just desktops but also critical digital infrastructure worldwide, inconsistent regional experiences could fuel further scrutiny by both users and governments.
What Microsoft Could Do Next
The company’s public messaging focuses on regulatory compliance and “innovation”—but many of the improvements made for EEA users represent basic user-centric principles: choice, privacy, and reduced bloatware. Here’s how Microsoft could address growing dissatisfaction in the U.S. and beyond:- Voluntary Expansion: Microsoft could unify the Windows experience by voluntarily offering some or all of the EEA-specific features globally, enshrining user choice rather than waiting for governments to force the issue.
- Transparent Telemetry: Accurately documenting what data is collected, from whom, and for what purposes would help assure all users, not just Europeans, that their privacy is taken seriously.
- User-Driven Defaults: Allowing all users to easily choose and manage their default apps and bundled services without hidden reinstallation prompts would enhance goodwill and trust.
- External Oversight: Opening up to third-party audits and publishing regular transparency reports could restore waning confidence among privacy advocates and the general public.
Conclusion: The Case for Unbundling Digital Monopolies
Microsoft’s latest EEA updates to Windows 11 offer a compelling demonstration of what meaningful tech reform looks like in action: the unbundling of system apps, true respect for user choice, and a move toward greater privacy and competitive parity. While American users currently miss out on these improvements, their European counterparts now enjoy a Windows ecosystem that genuinely puts users first—or at least closer to that ideal.Ultimately, this digital divide is not a matter of engineering limitation, but of policy and principle. As global demand mounts for greater autonomy and transparency in our most essential digital tools, one hopes that U.S. users will not have to wait for legislative catch-up or piecemeal hacks to obtain the same user-first improvements. For now, the Windows 11 experience is a stark example of how laws, not just code, shape the reality of software—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, and always with consequences that ripple far beyond the boundaries of any single market.
Source: XDA Americans are missing out on some of the best updates Microsoft has made to Windows 11
