Europe’s Windows Revolution: How EU Regulations Are Reshaping User Choice & Competition

Europe’s digital landscape is undergoing a transformation with Microsoft’s latest decision to implement sweeping Windows updates—an explicit response to growing regulatory scrutiny under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These changes reflect both the evolving demands of the European Economic Area (EEA) and a new reality for Big Tech, where long-standing norms—such as default browsers, bundled app stores, and proprietary web search—are being upended in the name of competition and user choice.

Regulatory Pressure Forces Microsoft’s Hand​

For decades, Windows has tightly interwoven Microsoft services—Edge as the default browser, Bing baked into system-level search, and the Microsoft Store as a core marketplace. Critics, regulators, and competitors have frequently accused the Redmond giant of leveraging its operating system monopoly to stifle fair competition. The EU legislation now enforces tangible changes to these practices.
The DMA and DSA, which target so-called “gatekeepers,” require larger platforms to support interoperability and make anti-competitive lock-ins impossible. For Microsoft, the implications are immediate and far-reaching—culminating in updates that reduce the visibility and enforced stickiness of its in-house products, while directly empowering the user with choice, transparency, and market access.

Neutralizing the “Edge” Advantage​

Windows users across the EEA will soon notice a remarkable difference in how the system handles Microsoft Edge. In the past, switching away from Edge was more frictionful than it needed to be. Users routinely encountered confirmation dialogs urging them to reconsider setting another browser as default. Edge, once uninstalled, would trigger persistent notifications encouraging reinstallation. These friction points nudged users—sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly—back into Edge’s embrace.
Starting with Edge version 137.0.3296.52 (released May 29, 2025), Microsoft has already begun scaling back these tactics within the EEA. Specifically, the “confirmation message whether to set Edge as the default browser” now only appears if a user explicitly launches Edge (for example, via the taskbar icon), removing a layer of resistance for those opting for alternatives.
Crucially, if a user uninstalls Edge after June 2025 (with the new updates applied), Windows will no longer display a “reinstallation recommendation notification.” This is a non-trivial pivot: it eliminates a persistent friction point that critics have flagged for years as being at odds with the spirit of consumer freedom.
However, these user-friendly changes are geographically restricted. Only EEA-based users benefit from them, underscoring that regulatory pressure, rather than voluntary goodwill, remains the key catalyst for reform.

Default Browser: From Paternalism to User Autonomy​

Historically, setting a non-Edge browser as the default in Windows resulted in some file extensions and protocols still opening in Edge by default. This practice, often cited as a deliberate method to privilege Microsoft’s own browser, has continually drawn the ire of both regulators and browser competitors.
With the DMA’s teeth now bared, Microsoft is dramatically expanding the scope of what the default browser setting means in the EEA. The forthcoming update in July 2025 ensures the following:

• When you set a browser as the default, not only will http(s) links open in your choice, but so will a comprehensive range of extensions: .htm, .html, .mht, .mhtml, .shtml, .svg, .xht, .xhtml, and .xml.
• Additional protocols, including ftp, http, https, and even the more obscure read, will respect the user’s selected default browser.
• Windows now auto-pins the newly set default browser to the taskbar—a helpful, if prescriptive, step. Users can toggle this behavior in settings, demonstrating increased configurability in line with regulatory expectations.

Perhaps most importantly, updates to be released from June 2025 will permit links from the lock screen and Windows widgets to open in the user-designated default browser rather than forcing Edge, eliminating one of the most visible remnants of Microsoft’s self-preferencing.

Windows Search: A (Real) Open Door for Alternative Engines​

Web search is an integral feature of modern operating systems. In Windows, “Windows Search” functions not just as a local search utility, but as a portal to the wider internet. By default, these queries have always been routed through Bing, giving Microsoft a prime advantage in collecting search data and ad revenue.
But that paradigm is shifting within the EEA. Due to the new legal environment, users across member states will soon be able to choose which web search engine Windows Search should utilize. The answer is no longer just “Bing or bust.”

• The update, rolling out in early June 2025, allows multiple search engines to be selected and prioritized within Windows Search.
• Users may organize the order of enabled search providers, creating a more tailored experience.
• This move not only thwarts accusations of undue preference for Bing, but also rebalances the competitive field for European search engine providers and privacy-centric alternatives.

This change, while overdue in the eyes of many, directly responds to critics who have claimed that default search integration unduly exploits Windows’ market power to entrench Microsoft’s online ecosystem.

Uninstalling the Microsoft Store: Meeting User Demand for Choice​

The Windows ecosystem has always been defined, to some extent, by what users are permitted to remove. Core apps—especially the Microsoft Store—have traditionally been considered non-removable, reinforcing their utility by simple virtue of persistent presence.
In the EEA, starting from the second half of 2025, this will no longer be true. Users will be able to uninstall the Microsoft Store like any other app, using the Start menu or the Settings panel.

• The option applies only to Windows users in the European Economic Area.
• For power users, system administrators, and privacy advocates, the ability to completely remove the Store is long overdue.

This modification shifts power back to the user, enabling organizations and individuals to exert greater control over their environments and sidestep unwanted telemetry or app recommendations.

Comparative Context: How the DMA is Reshaping European Tech​

The DMA is not an isolated variable; its impact is reverberating across the entire digital market. Apple’s parallel struggles with EU regulations (enabling third-party app stores and alternative payment mechanisms on iOS, for example) highlight the continental breadth of regulatory change. Google, likewise, has faced repeated censure—and record fines—for self-preferencing in search, advertising, and shopping results.
These moves are motivated by a core principle: that platform dominance should not equate to unassailable market entrenchment. The spirit of “interoperability” and “user choice” is no longer aspirational, but codified in law.
This makes the current Windows updates not merely technical adjustments, but a watershed moment in the historical contest between platform owners and regulatory authorities.

Critical Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Hidden Risks​

Notable Strengths and Positive Impacts​

• Increased Consumer Choice: Forcing Microsoft to allow alternative default browsers, selectable web search engines, and uninstallable system apps coalesces into greater user agency. This is especially relevant for enterprise and privacy-sensitive users.
• Level Playing Field: New market entrants and startups—whether in browser tech, app distribution, or search—gain viable access to the Windows audience without battling artificial friction.
• Transparency and Trust: Institutions and regulators keen on digital sovereignty (a major EU objective) can now reassure citizens that their local devices are not back doors for foreign data processors or persistent advertising networks.
• Precedent for Global Markets: While restricted to the EEA for now, these regulatory successes may pave the way for similar changes in other regions, especially as political attitudes toward Big Tech’s influence harden.

Potential Downsides and Risks​

• Fragmented Experience: By rolling out market-specific features, Microsoft risks creating a bifurcated Windows environment. Updates, support resources, and documentation may lag in non-EEA regions, causing confusion for multinational organizations and developers.
• Unintended Technical Issues: Allowing system-level changes—like uninstalling the Microsoft Store—may break dependencies for updates, security patches, or app installations. Unless Microsoft rigorously tests these pathways, users could inadvertently compromise their system stability.
• Competitive Neutrality: Critics may challenge whether Microsoft’s implementation of new “choice” mechanisms is sincere or designed with new forms of technical or UX friction. For instance, if alternative browsers have to “jump through more hoops” to fully integrate, the playing field could remain subtly tilted.
• Regulatory Arms Race: The EU actions are unlikely to be the endpoint. As regulatory environments continue to evolve, Microsoft (and other tech giants) face ongoing uncertainty and compliance costs. There is a risk that global software experiences become increasingly regionalized and fragmented.

Verifiability and Transparency of Claims​

Most of the technical changes discussed herein are confirmed by both official Microsoft communications and independent reporting from established technology outlets, such as GIGAZINE, The Verge, and ZDNet. Claims about Edge, default browser protocols, and uninstallability of the Microsoft Store are also supported by developer documentation and early user testing in preview builds. Nevertheless, as with all evolving software policy, the actual implementation details may shift between initial announcement and widespread release. Users should monitor both Microsoft’s official support channels and regional regulatory news for the most current guidance.

What This Means for Everyday Windows Users​

If you’re based in the European Economic Area, these updates will materially change how you interact with your device. No more unprompted Edge recommendations. No more enforced Bing in your Start menu search box. App store alternatives—and, potentially, safer, lighter Windows installations for specialized use.
Yet, for the vast majority of Windows’ global user base, these options remain as distant promises. Outside the EEA, Edge and Bing will likely continue to dominate their respective slots, and the Store’s omnipresence will remain uncontested.

The Outlook: A New Competitive Era—For Europe and Beyond?​

The EU’s regulatory moves have not only forced Microsoft to adjust its Windows update roadmap, but also sent a powerful signal to the broader tech industry: default is not destiny. Each of these updates—however technical they may seem—reflects a broader debate about the power of incumbents, user autonomy, and the future of fair digital markets.
For regulators, Windows’ example is proof that “code is law”—and that meaningful change requires persistent oversight and a willingness to tackle entrenched interests. For users and competitors, the path ahead is clearer, if not perfect.
The lesson is straightforward: when competition is fostered by thoughtful regulation, even the mightiest tech giants must bend toward openness and genuine user choice. European Windows users are about to experience a more open, flexible, and competitive digital desktop. If precedent holds, these reforms may one day extend worldwide, rewriting the rulebook for how operating systems engage with the broader web.

---

Source: GIGAZINE Windows will receive updates such as 'Make Edge less appealing,' 'Allow search engines other than Bing to be selected in Windows Search,' and 'Allow Microsoft Store to be uninstalled,' due to the EU's Digital Services Act