Microsoft Edge will no longer automatically import data from other browsers

Microsoft has addressed a recent issue where its Edge browser was found to automatically import browsing data and tabs from Chrome without user consent. Tom Warren from The Verge also encountered this problem after a routine PC reboot following a Windows update last month. Despite repeated inquiries, Microsoft remained tight-lipped on the matter. However, the latest Microsoft Edge update quietly includes a fix for the issue, addressing a feature that wasn’t syncing properly across devices.

The fix provided by Microsoft, to prevent automatic tabs and browsing data import from other browsers to Edge, suggests that the setting controlling the automatic import of browsing data wasn’t syncing correctly across devices. While this resolves the immediate issue, questions remain about the root cause of the problem. Microsoft is yet to provide a detailed response on the matter. This lack of transparency may stem from Microsoft’s history of employing tactics that resemble those used by spyware developers to promote its web browser, notes The Verge.

Microsoft’s past strategies include monthly Windows updates that automatically launch and pin Edge to the desktop and taskbar without user consent. Additionally, prompts or polls occasionally appear to discourage users from downloading competing browsers like Chrome.

Mozilla has commissioned a research paper to explore the tactics that Microsoft Edge uses

The research paper highlights harmful design tactics employed by Microsoft, which contradict the company’s own design guidelines and undermine competition from rival browsers. These tactics extend to subtle methods that steer Windows 11 users towards Edge, such as ignoring the default browser when clicking links from certain interfaces like the Windows Widgets panel or search results. Moreover, Microsoft’s decision to force Outlook and Teams to open links in Edge has garnered criticism, particularly from IT administrators.

Addressing concerns surrounding Microsoft’s tactics, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in EEA markets aims to empower users by allowing them to uninstall Edge and permitting search providers like Google to integrate custom web searches into the main Windows Search interface. However, these regulations do not apply to Edge, Bing, or Microsoft Advertising, as they are exempt from DMA rules.

While Microsoft has pledged to cease some actions aimed at forcing Edge on users who prefer alternative browsers, these changes only scratch the surface of the broader issues outlined in Mozilla’s research. Furthermore, Microsoft will limit the implementation of these changes to users in the EEA, leaving users in other regions unaffected by these adjustments.