Latest news with #AaronMcParlan
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Microsoft hit with Opera complaint to Brazilian antitrust regulator
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS: Norwegian browser maker Opera filed a complaint about U.S. tech giant Microsoft to Brazilian antitrust authority CADE on Tuesday alleging its Edge browser has an unfair advantage, underscoring the long-running rivalry between the two companies. Opera complained to the European Commission in December 2007 about Microsoft tying its Internet Explorer browser to its Windows operating system. The case eventually ended with a 561 million-euro ($648 million) EU antitrust fine for the U.S. company. In July last year, Opera took the Commission to court for exempting Edge from the Digital Markets Act , which aims to rein in the power of Big Tech via a list of dos and don'ts. In its complaint to CADE seen by Reuters, Opera alleged that Microsoft's pre-installation of Edge as the default browser across Windows devices and computers prevents rivals from competing on the merits of the products. "Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn. First, browsers like Opera are locked out of important preinstallation opportunities," Opera's general counsel, Aaron McParlan, said in a statement. "And then Microsoft frustrates users' ability to download and use alternative browsers," he said. Microsoft had no immediate comment. Opera, which said it is the third-most popular PC browser in Brazil, added that Microsoft's alleged tactics included giving incentives to major PC manufacturers to pre-install Edge exclusively on Windows on all their Windows devices. Opera had 6.78% of the desktop browser market in Brazil in June, according to StatCounter, versus Edge's 11.52% while Google's Chrome held a commanding 75%. Opera also alleged that Microsoft used anti-competitive measures such as design tactics or dark patterns to steer PC users away from rival browsers to Edge. Opera called on CADE to investigate Microsoft and to demand concessions to ensure fair competition.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Microsoft hit with Opera complaint to Brazilian antitrust regulator
Norwegian browser maker Opera filed a complaint about U.S. tech giant Microsoft to Brazilian antitrust authority CADE on Tuesday alleging its Edge browser has an unfair advantage, underscoring the long-running rivalry between the two companies. Opera complained to the European Commission in December 2007 about Microsoft tying its Internet Explorer browser to its Windows operating system. The case eventually ended with a 561 million euro ($647.8 million) EU antitrust fine for the U.S. company. In July last year, Opera took the Commission to court for exempting Edge from the Digital Markets Act, which aims to rein in the power of Big Tech via a list of dos and don'ts. In its complaint to CADE seen by Reuters, Opera alleged that Microsoft's pre-installation of Edge as the default browser across Windows devices and computers prevents rivals from competing on the merits of the products. "Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn. First, browsers like Opera are locked out of important preinstallation opportunities," Opera's general counsel, Aaron McParlan, said in a statement. "And then Microsoft frustrates users' ability to download and use alternative browsers," he said. Microsoft had no immediate comment. Opera, which said it is the third-most popular PC browser in Brazil, added that Microsoft's alleged tactics included giving incentives to major PC manufacturers to pre-instal Edge exclusively on Windows on all their Windows devices. Opera also alleged that Microsoft used anti-competitive measures such as design tactics or dark patterns to steer PC users away from rival browsers to Edge. Opera called on CADE to investigate Microsoft and to demand concessions to ensure fair competition.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft hit with Opera complaint to Brazilian antitrust regulator
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Norwegian browser maker Opera filed a complaint about U.S. tech giant Microsoft to Brazilian antitrust authority CADE on Tuesday alleging its Edge browser has an unfair advantage, underscoring the long-running rivalry between the two companies. Opera complained to the European Commission in December 2007 about Microsoft tying its Internet Explorer browser to its Windows operating system. The case eventually ended with a 561 million-euro ($648 million) EU antitrust fine for the U.S. company. In July last year, Opera took the Commission to court for exempting Edge from the Digital Markets Act, which aims to rein in the power of Big Tech via a list of dos and don'ts. In its complaint to CADE seen by Reuters, Opera alleged that Microsoft's pre-installation of Edge as the default browser across Windows devices and computers prevents rivals from competing on the merits of the products. "Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn. First, browsers like Opera are locked out of important preinstallation opportunities," Opera's general counsel, Aaron McParlan, said in a statement. "And then Microsoft frustrates users' ability to download and use alternative browsers," he said. Microsoft had no immediate comment. Opera, which said it is the third-most popular PC browser in Brazil, added that Microsoft's alleged tactics included giving incentives to major PC manufacturers to pre-install Edge exclusively on Windows on all their Windows devices. Opera had 6.78% of the desktop browser market in Brazil in June, according to StatCounter, versus Edge's 11.52% while Google's Chrome held a commanding 75%. Opera also alleged that Microsoft used anti-competitive measures such as design tactics or dark patterns to steer PC users away from rival browsers to Edge. Opera called on CADE to investigate Microsoft and to demand concessions to ensure fair competition. 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opera takes its browser beef with Microsoft to Brazil in antitrust complaint
Opera is filing an antitrust complaint against Microsoft in Brazil, alleging it creates an unfair environment for alternate browsers to compete with Edge. The Norway-based company claims Microsoft's deals to make Edge the exclusive pre-installed browser on Windows machines creates an unfair environment for alternate browsers to compete. Opera also argued that Microsoft uses design tactics and dark patterns to further discourage people from downloading and using rival products. It is asking Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) to pursue remedies against Microsoft. "Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn. First, browsers like Opera are locked out of important pre-installation opportunities," Aaron McParlan, general counsel for Opera, said in a statement. "And then Microsoft frustrates users' ability to download and use alternative browsers." This isn't the first time these two companies have clashed. Opera sued Microsoft in the EU all the way back in 2007 with a similar argument that bundling Internet Explorer was anticompetitive. Last year, it also argued (albeit unsuccessfully) that Microsoft should have gatekeeper designation for the Edge browser under the EU's Digital Markets Act.
The Verge
a day ago
- Business
- The Verge
Opera is filing a complaint over Microsoft's tricks that push you to use Edge
Microsoft has used a variety of tricks to convince people to keep using the defaults of Bing and Microsoft Edge in Windows over the years, including modifying Chrome download sites and using malware-like popups. Now, Opera is fed up of what it calls Microsoft's 'manipulative design tactics' and filed a competition complaint in Brazil today, alleging that Microsoft is using anti-competitive practices to steer people toward using Edge. 'Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn,' says Aaron McParlan, general counsel at Opera. 'First, browsers like Opera are locked out of important preinstallation opportunities. And then Microsoft frustrates users' ability to download and use alternative browsers.' Opera's complaint alleges that Microsoft ignores a user's default browser choice in a variety of ways, from opening PDF files or links in Outlook and Teams, to opening links through Windows features like Search or Widgets. Opera also notes that Microsoft uses 'obtrusive banners and messages discouraging users from downloading alternative browsers at the very moment they are searching for those browsers on Edge.' Opera filed its complaint in Brazil because it's one of the company's main markets. 'Opera is already a major success in Brazil: it is the third most popular browser in Brazil and has millions of loyal users in Brazil who actively choose it, despite Microsoft's tactics,' McParlan says. 'The complaint, which concerns practices implemented globally by Microsoft, presents an opportunity for Brazil to be a leader on this international issue.' If Opera is successful with its complaint, it wants remedies from Microsoft, like allowing PC manufacturers to preload alternative default browsers, a halt to blocking consumers from downloading other browsers, and an end to 'dark patterns that push users towards Edge.' Opera also reveals that Microsoft requires OEMs to 'deliver S mode devices as a condition for rebates on a Windows OS license,' which is another practice it wants to see outlawed. While the complaint will be handled by Brazil's competition authority, it's part of a broader effort from Opera to challenge Microsoft's Edge practices around the world. Opera unsuccessfully challenged the EU's decision not to designate Microsoft Edge as a gatekeeper under its Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules last year. Microsoft escaped the designation, but it still had to make changes to Windows in EU markets in response to the DMA. These changes have led it to stop bugging Windows users about Edge. 'We believe that Microsoft's conduct, including the changes that it has announced in Europe, are insufficient to attain effective compliance with the DMA,' McParlan says. 'In this context, and as part of its global efforts to ensure free and effective consumer choice, Opera has appealed before the EU Courts the European Commission's decision not to designate Edge as a 'gatekeeper' service under the DMA.' Not only has Microsoft used Windows to urge people into switching to Edge in the past, the company also created a spoofed Google UI to try and convince Bing users they were using Google earlier this year. The search results looked a lot like Google, complete with a custom search bar, a Google Doodle-like image, and some small text under the search bar just like Google Search. Microsoft quickly killed the plug on its spoofed Google UI once people started noticing it. Opera also has a history of complaints against Microsoft's browser behavior in Windows. It originally filed an antitrust complaint with the EU in 2007, which eventually led to the browser ballot screen being created — allowing Windows users to pick one of the 12 most popular browsers rather than defaulting to Internet Explorer. Microsoft had to keep the browser choice screen in Windows for five years, but it was fined $730 million in 2013 for failing to include the ballot in Windows 7 Service Pack 1. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Tom Warren Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Microsoft Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Policy Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Web Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Windows
