Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has continued to drive significant shifts in Microsoft’s business practices—especially regarding how the Windows platform interacts with competing web browsers. In a notable move, Microsoft has announced the end of persistent Edge browser prompts for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), marking a distinct and measurable evolution in both regulatory compliance and user experience for millions of Windows 10 and 11 users across Europe.
The Digital Markets Act, a centerpiece of European digital regulation, was enacted to counteract the vast market influence of so-called “gatekeepers”—multi-billion dollar technology firms considered essential intermediaries for both consumers and competitors. The DMA targets practices seen as stifling competition and consumer choice, demanding openness, interoperability, and neutrality from entrenched tech providers.
Initially in 2023, the European Commission designated Microsoft as a gatekeeper, applying sweeping requirements across a range of services: Windows, Bing Search, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Advertising, Outlook, and LinkedIn. However, after further deliberation, the Commission decided to focus regulation specifically on Windows and LinkedIn, reflecting ongoing concerns but narrowing immediate obligations for Microsoft. This move did little, however, to dampen scrutiny over Windows’ preference for homegrown services like the Edge browser.
To comply with the DMA, Microsoft initiated several noteworthy changes for EEA users, as detailed both in official statements and a targeted technical blog post:
Instead, Edge will only invite users to become the default choice if it’s manually opened by the user, substantially reducing both annoyance and the subtle pressure exerted on those uninterested in Microsoft’s offerings. This change is poised to take effect for Windows 10 and 11 users, rolling out starting July 2025 as part of cumulative monthly updates. Notably, early access to these changes is already available for power users running Beta Channel builds, specifically Build 26120.4151.
This technical and behavioral adjustment comes as a direct response to persistent criticism—both from European regulators and Microsoft’s own browser competitors—over the manipulative edge conferred by default settings and unbidden promotional nudges.
This means that selecting, for instance, Chrome or Firefox as the default browser will ensure PDF or HTML files open with the user’s choice, instead of being quietly redirected to Edge. For many, this incremental but crucial change underlines a more genuine commitment to user autonomy and fair competition.
In what could mark a pivotal shift for power users and competitors alike, Microsoft will now allow EEA users to install apps that specify an alternative web search provider for Windows Search. This opens the door for independent search engines—like Google or DuckDuckGo—to become the engine below the Windows search experience itself, further diminishing the stickiness of Microsoft’s defaults.
This new capability, rolling out from Insider builds and expected to reach retail versions of Windows 10 and 11 later in the month, has long been a target of digital-rights advocates and independent developers. It provides an unprecedented level of system integration to alternative providers.
First, these pro-user, pro-competition changes are geographically limited. Only users within the European Economic Area receive these expanded rights and freedoms; users elsewhere—an overwhelming majority—remain subject to Microsoft’s default-heavy approach.
Second, the technical process for changing defaults has arguably become more convoluted, as browsers are no longer able to simply request (via user-friendly prompts) to become the system default on launch. Instead, most users must still dig through the Windows Settings menu—a hurdle many find opaque or discouraging.
As von Tetzchner put it, “Still needs to be easier for users to set their preferred default browser. It used to be that the browser could ask you and if you allowed it, it would be set as default. It seems like you still have to go into the settings to change this.”
Yet, regulation’s reach remains inherently limited by borders. The global interconnectedness of the web means these regional fixes sometimes produce second-class user experiences in “unregulated” markets, inadvertently highlighting the uneven exercise of consumer rights worldwide. Without global buy-in, the burden of digital fairness continues to be shouldered by citizens lucky enough to fall under activist regulators.
Nevertheless, the process of managing and customizing defaults could still be made easier. Microsoft’s step forward could be rendered a full leap if the company enables browsers themselves to prompt, once again, to become default providers on first launch, allowing for one-click transitions, as was once the industry standard. Until then, some friction remains.
For browser developers in particular, the removal of roadblocks created by system-level prompts or quietly forced defaults opens the door to greater stickiness for alternative platforms. It also means engineering talent can be redeployed from fighting Windows-specific friction to product innovation and new feature development.
At the same time, Microsoft’s continued friction elsewhere prompts ongoing debate about whether the company is committed to worldwide openness, or simply doing the bare minimum to comply with local regulation. Some will view these moves as a litmus test: if user experience truly comes first, why not extend these freedoms and design improvements to all Windows users, rather than segment by geography?
Yet, the partial, regionally-limited nature of these reforms illustrates an ongoing tension at the heart of Big Tech: the tug-of-war between commercial self-interest and consumer-centric openness. The DMA, and future laws like it, will continue to shape this battleground for years to come.
For now, Windows users in Europe can rightfully celebrate. They are no longer compelled to dance to Edge’s tune—and can look forward to a more open, responsive, and respectful relationship with the world’s most important desktop operating system. But the quest for true user empowerment is far from finished—and the final chapter remains unwritten.
Source: theregister.com Microsoft will stop pestering Windows users about Edge in EU
The DMA: Bringing Tech Giants to Heel
The Digital Markets Act, a centerpiece of European digital regulation, was enacted to counteract the vast market influence of so-called “gatekeepers”—multi-billion dollar technology firms considered essential intermediaries for both consumers and competitors. The DMA targets practices seen as stifling competition and consumer choice, demanding openness, interoperability, and neutrality from entrenched tech providers.Initially in 2023, the European Commission designated Microsoft as a gatekeeper, applying sweeping requirements across a range of services: Windows, Bing Search, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Advertising, Outlook, and LinkedIn. However, after further deliberation, the Commission decided to focus regulation specifically on Windows and LinkedIn, reflecting ongoing concerns but narrowing immediate obligations for Microsoft. This move did little, however, to dampen scrutiny over Windows’ preference for homegrown services like the Edge browser.
Microsoft’s Initial Response: Moving Pieces, Slow Concessions
Through 2023 and into 2024, Microsoft faced mounting pressure to reconcile Windows’ default software behaviors with the DMA’s spirit of competitive fairness. Critically, Windows’ steady prompts nudging users to set Edge as their default browser—regardless of existing preferences—triggered persistent outcry from both users and rival browser makers.To comply with the DMA, Microsoft initiated several noteworthy changes for EEA users, as detailed both in official statements and a targeted technical blog post:
- Edge and Bing Uninstallation: Users in Europe gained the explicit ability to uninstall not just Edge, but Bing—removing the company’s browser and search engine entirely from their Windows installations.
- Third-Party Web Apps on the Taskbar: Microsoft unlocked the Taskbar, permitting web apps from any provider, not just those tied to Redmond’s ecosystem, improving user flexibility.
- Decoupling Sign-On Practices: Windows stopped automatically signing users into Bing and Edge using their Microsoft Account, an important privacy and competition step.
The Edge Prompt Changes: Ending “Nagware” (At Least in Europe)
The latest—and most high-profile—shift comes with Microsoft pledging to stop pestering EEA users to switch to Edge unless they have voluntarily opened the browser. This means, in practical terms, that unsolicited prompts and banners urging a switch to Edge as the default will no longer appear arbitrarily.Instead, Edge will only invite users to become the default choice if it’s manually opened by the user, substantially reducing both annoyance and the subtle pressure exerted on those uninterested in Microsoft’s offerings. This change is poised to take effect for Windows 10 and 11 users, rolling out starting July 2025 as part of cumulative monthly updates. Notably, early access to these changes is already available for power users running Beta Channel builds, specifically Build 26120.4151.
This technical and behavioral adjustment comes as a direct response to persistent criticism—both from European regulators and Microsoft’s own browser competitors—over the manipulative edge conferred by default settings and unbidden promotional nudges.
Default Apps: Expanding User Choice to More File Types
Beyond just browser prompts, Microsoft announced that EEA users will enjoy an expanded scope for the “Set Default” option under Settings > Apps > Default apps. Historically, certain file types (notably.pdf, .xhtml, and others commonly associated with web browsers) would revert to Edge, regardless of user intervention. Now, while in the EEA, users’ browser preferences will persist across these file types as well.This means that selecting, for instance, Chrome or Firefox as the default browser will ensure PDF or HTML files open with the user’s choice, instead of being quietly redirected to Edge. For many, this incremental but crucial change underlines a more genuine commitment to user autonomy and fair competition.
Opening the Search: Allowing Alternative Web Search Providers
Perhaps one of the most technically significant modifications relates to Windows Search. Traditionally bound to Bing Web Search for all web-content and search-result retrieval, users were effectively locked into Microsoft’s web services even after switching browsers.In what could mark a pivotal shift for power users and competitors alike, Microsoft will now allow EEA users to install apps that specify an alternative web search provider for Windows Search. This opens the door for independent search engines—like Google or DuckDuckGo—to become the engine below the Windows search experience itself, further diminishing the stickiness of Microsoft’s defaults.
This new capability, rolling out from Insider builds and expected to reach retail versions of Windows 10 and 11 later in the month, has long been a target of digital-rights advocates and independent developers. It provides an unprecedented level of system integration to alternative providers.
Microsoft Store: Uninstallable at Last
In a further sign of regulatory-induced flexibility, Microsoft is committing to make the Microsoft Store itself uninstallable (and optionally reinstallable) for EEA users later this year. While the Store has historically been a central part of Microsoft’s Windows-as-a-Service model, the option to remove it signals a degree of humility—and new respect for consumer agency—rarely seen from platform owners of this scale.Industry Reaction: Praise With a Cautious Outlook
Jon S. von Tetzchner’s comment on social media, “Regulation works… You can thank the [European Commission] for some important Windows changes, where Edge will nag you less. I wish these were worldwide,” encapsulates broad sentiment in the browser community. While there is unequivocal relief at the progress, skepticism remains on two fronts: universality and execution.First, these pro-user, pro-competition changes are geographically limited. Only users within the European Economic Area receive these expanded rights and freedoms; users elsewhere—an overwhelming majority—remain subject to Microsoft’s default-heavy approach.
Second, the technical process for changing defaults has arguably become more convoluted, as browsers are no longer able to simply request (via user-friendly prompts) to become the system default on launch. Instead, most users must still dig through the Windows Settings menu—a hurdle many find opaque or discouraging.
As von Tetzchner put it, “Still needs to be easier for users to set their preferred default browser. It used to be that the browser could ask you and if you allowed it, it would be set as default. It seems like you still have to go into the settings to change this.”
Critical Analysis: Are the Changes Enough?
Strengths and Progress
These adjustments undeniably mark a watershed moment in the battle for digital competition in Europe:- User control has improved, with fewer hardwired Microsoft defaults and more explicit choice over key aspects of the Windows experience.
- The ability to uninstall Bing, Edge, and even the Microsoft Store signals a new era of modularity, reducing “bloatware” criticisms and empowering advanced users.
- By opening Windows Search to alternative providers, Microsoft is tackling one of the subtle, persistent market levers that, critics say, has kept rival platforms at a disadvantage.
- Regulatory compliance is doubling as a competitive catalyst—other suppliers may need to adapt quickly, further benefiting consumers.
Persistent Weaknesses and Questions
However, the rollout exposes remaining weaknesses and generates new questions:- Geographic Inequity: These freedoms apply only inside the EEA, leaving global Windows users without equivalent agency.
- Complexity for Non-Experts: While progress has been made, changing the default browser (and related file associations) remains intricate for ordinary users. The inability for browsers to prompt for default status on first launch adds friction that may disproportionately hurt smaller competitors.
- Partial Rather Than Total Relief: Despite the modifications, Windows continues to feature a distinct tilt toward homegrown services, particularly outside regulated regions. Some file types or digital workflows may still revert to Microsoft defaults under some circumstances, according to ongoing community reports.
- Execution and Update Risks: Past experience with Windows feature rollouts shows a possibility of bugs, incomplete implementation, or ambiguous messaging—especially given the intricacy of regional feature toggles.
- Precedent for Fragmentation: There’s an emerging risk that Windows will become a patchwork of behaviors and user rights, varying significantly by geography—a scenario fraught with potential for confusion, support challenges, and consumer frustration.
The Role of Regulation—And Its Limits
These regulatory-driven changes reflect the power and limits of legal intervention in digital markets. The European Commission’s sustained efforts have achieved what years of industry lobbying, user petitions, and negative press could not: concrete, user-facing concessions from one of the world’s most powerful tech providers.Yet, regulation’s reach remains inherently limited by borders. The global interconnectedness of the web means these regional fixes sometimes produce second-class user experiences in “unregulated” markets, inadvertently highlighting the uneven exercise of consumer rights worldwide. Without global buy-in, the burden of digital fairness continues to be shouldered by citizens lucky enough to fall under activist regulators.
Looking Ahead: What It Means for Users, Developers, and Competition
For End Users
European users will soon experience a less intrusive Windows update cycle, with their preference for alternative browsers better respected and their ability to switch key system services greatly increased. Tech-savvy individuals, in particular, will welcome the ability to de-bloat Windows and run only the components they actually use.Nevertheless, the process of managing and customizing defaults could still be made easier. Microsoft’s step forward could be rendered a full leap if the company enables browsers themselves to prompt, once again, to become default providers on first launch, allowing for one-click transitions, as was once the industry standard. Until then, some friction remains.
For Developers and Competitors
Browser makers, web developers, and competing app store providers have much to celebrate. Regulatory victories strengthen their market opportunities and offer renewed motivation to invest in best-in-class alternatives—knowing the playing field is, if not perfectly level, at least less actively rigged.For browser developers in particular, the removal of roadblocks created by system-level prompts or quietly forced defaults opens the door to greater stickiness for alternative platforms. It also means engineering talent can be redeployed from fighting Windows-specific friction to product innovation and new feature development.
For Microsoft
While these changes result in a measurable reduction of platform control, they are—in some respects—a pragmatic concession to the regulatory reality of Europe. The risks of non-compliance outweigh the marginal benefits of continued “nudging” within the EEA, and the technical challenge of region-specific Windows behavior is non-trivial but clearly surmountable for a company of Microsoft’s scale.At the same time, Microsoft’s continued friction elsewhere prompts ongoing debate about whether the company is committed to worldwide openness, or simply doing the bare minimum to comply with local regulation. Some will view these moves as a litmus test: if user experience truly comes first, why not extend these freedoms and design improvements to all Windows users, rather than segment by geography?
Where Are We Now? The New Baseline
As of July 2025, EEA-based Windows users can look forward to a future in which:- They are not harassed with Edge prompts unless Edge is actively launched.
- Selecting a default browser truly applies to an expanded set of web- and content-related filetypes.
- It’s finally possible to uninstall Microsoft’s own app store—reducing clutter for organizations and privacy-minded individuals.
- For the first time, Windows Search itself can be pointed at a non-Bing web indexer, completing the circle of user choice.
Cautions and Watchpoints
While celebrating progress, users, IT professionals, and digital rights advocates should remain vigilant in several areas:- Monitor the effectiveness and completeness of Microsoft’s promised changes as they propagate through Insider, Beta, and retail builds.
- Pay attention to user reports about remaining default-related friction, especially with less common filetypes or workflow triggers.
- Lobby for the spirit—if not the exact letter—of these reforms to be extended to all Windows users, ensuring fair treatment regardless of geography.
- Prepare for the possibility of feature fragmentation or regionally-confused tech support as Microsoft continues to juggle compliance duties across disparate legal landscapes.
Conclusion: A Milestone in Windows User Rights
The rollback of mandatory Edge prompts and expanded user flexibility across Windows’ critical components demonstrates that regulatory pressure works—at least in regions where regulators have both the will and remit to drive change. This is more than mere compliance; it is a potent example of how clear, well-enforced rules can materially improve technology and user experiences for everyone.Yet, the partial, regionally-limited nature of these reforms illustrates an ongoing tension at the heart of Big Tech: the tug-of-war between commercial self-interest and consumer-centric openness. The DMA, and future laws like it, will continue to shape this battleground for years to come.
For now, Windows users in Europe can rightfully celebrate. They are no longer compelled to dance to Edge’s tune—and can look forward to a more open, responsive, and respectful relationship with the world’s most important desktop operating system. But the quest for true user empowerment is far from finished—and the final chapter remains unwritten.
Source: theregister.com Microsoft will stop pestering Windows users about Edge in EU
