Subj : Microsoft slammed for trying to trick business users into install
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Wed Aug 14 2024 17:15:05

Microsoft slammed for trying to trick business users into installing Edge 
browser

Date:
Wed, 14 Aug 2024 16:12:56 +0000

Description:
In its struggle to get users to accept Edge, Microsoft is deceptively 
advertising its browser as a security recommendation.

FULL STORY
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In its latest push to increase the adoption of Edge, Microsoft is apparently 
increasingly arketing the browser to users of its Defender security suite in 
a move that has drawn criticism for blurring the line between advising and 
advertising. 

The user interface design choice has been slated for deceptively steering 
users towards installing Microsofts in-house browser by promoting a feature 
called In-browser protection with Microsoft Edge for Business. 

The tool is designed to help administrators separate personal and business 
browsing profiles in order to keep confidential company information secure. 
Microsoft accused of deceptively enticing customers to Edge 

Although the tool, which offers protection similar to a reverse proxy , can 
be a useful control for companies, the way Microsoft has gone about pushing 
it has sparked online debate. The prompt appears as a security recommendation 
rather than clearly being identified as an advertisement. 

Chrome currently accounts for around 65% of all browser sessions on desktops, 
compared with just 14% for Edge. Still, Edge has the edge over Safari, which 
only accounts for around 9% of the desktop browser market (according to 
Statcounter ), with Firefox and Opera rounding up the top five. 

When asked about the criticism, a Microsoft spokesperson emphasized (via The 
Register ) that administrators have full control over the experience and can 
disable the feature if desired. 

However, this isnt the first time that Microsoft has faced scrutiny over its 
Edge marketing tactics. Earlier this year, Mozilla published a report 
criticizing the company for using dark patterns to push users towards Edge, 
highlighting examples of targeted Edge ads on Googles website. 

More broadly, Microsoft has also been struggling with the adoption of its 
latest operating system. Windows 11 finally broke the 30% market share last 
month, but still accounts for fewer than one in three instances of Windows 
OS. Windows 10 accounts for a sliver under 65%. More from TechRadar Pro 
Microsoft Edge gets some Grammarly-style AI upgrades to boost your writing 
chops Check out the best privacy tools and anonymous browsers Protect your 
online footprint with the best VPNs



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-slammed-for-trying-to-trick-business-u
sers-into-installing-edge-browser


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