Browser Choice Alliance Criticizes Microsoft’s Edge Strategy Again, Calls for Changes

“Dear Microsoft, enough is enough.” That’s how the latest open letter from the Browser Choice Alliance (BCA) to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella starts. In the letter, Microsoft is accused of using Windows to steer users toward Edge while making it harder for competing browsers to operate.

The coalition says the company continues to rely on tactics that undermine browser choice across Windows devices.

Browser coalition says Windows still favors Edge over its alternative

The alliance argues that Microsoft’s influence goes far beyond simply shipping Edge with Windows. According to the group, Windows still contains multiple mechanisms that encourage users to stick with Edge even after selecting another browser.

The letter points to browser download prompts, default browser switching hurdles, links opening in Edge from Microsoft apps, and Windows features that reportedly bypass user-selected browser preferences altogether.

The coalition also claims Microsoft uses exclusive areas inside Windows to promote Edge whenever users attempt to download competing browsers.

Several long-standing complaints return

If you use Edge on Windows, many of the issues highlighted in the letter will sound familiar to you. The Browser Choice Alliance specifically wants Microsoft to stop using Windows updates to push users back toward Edge, restore simpler one-click browser switching, allow all links to respect system-wide browser settings, and remove restrictions that prevent competing browsers from getting equal visibility on Windows PCs.

The group also criticized Microsoft’s S Mode restrictions and called for broader opportunities for browser developers to compete for preinstallation deals with PC manufacturers.

The BCA also argues that browsers now serve as key entry points for AI-powered services, research tools, productivity platforms, and coding assistants. That is partly why the coalition believes browser choice matters more today than it did a decade ago. It’ll be interesting to see whether Microsoft responds publicly to the open letter remains unclear as of now.