Dark patterns installing 3rd party browsers in Edge

[FormularSumo]

Description

When a user installs a 3rd party browser in Microsoft Edge there are various banners and pop-ups in the UI designed to scare users away from downloading and installing another browser.

• Prominent search ad when searching for many other browsers using Bing
• Tool tip pop-up when on the download page of Chrome
• Banner inserted into website after downloading Chrome
• Survey opened in sidebar after downloading Chrome

In order:

The same happens when searching for many 3rd party browsers by name, including "Chrome", "Vivaldi", "UC Browser", "Tor Browser", "Maxthon", "Safari" and "Chromium". This also happens irrespecive of whether you are using Bing in Edge or in other browsers.



As well as reducing the space that can be used by the 3rd party browser's website, this survey encourages users to use the Microsoft recommended settings, which sets Edge to the default. It also links to other settings pages inside of Edge, keeping users inside the browser and away from the website containing instructions for setting up a 3rd party browser.

Compounding factors

• Most users who want to install a 3rd party browser on a new Windows 10/11 installation use Edge to do so
• Edge uses Bing as its default search engine
• Chrome is the most popular browser on Windows with well over a majority marketshare

The combination of these factors mean that most users who install a 3rd party browser on Windows will be exposed to at least the first of these dark patterns, if not all of them.

Outcome

• Microsoft Edge and Bing remove all banners, pop-ups and other promotional material that aim to disuade users from downloading a 3rd party browser.
• Ensure that future advertising/promotion of Edge can only be done in the same areas that other browser vendors have the opportunity to advertise in, such as standard search engine ads, and is in no way prioritised over that of competitors.