Mozilla, the nonprofit behind Firefox; Once again, Microsoft has been tough on tech giants like Apple and Google about redirecting users to their browsers. The company continues to argue that companies controlling popular operating systems and web services are using their positions to essentially deprive consumers of options.
Mozilla has now released a report titled “Five-Walled Gardens: Why Browsers Are Important to the Internet and How Operating Systems Are Holding Them Back.” The report focuses on how people use web browsers. As can be expected, the most popular web browsers are Chrome, Safari and Edge. It’s not far behind Firefox Edge, but Mozilla claims the three most popular browsers have a larger user base due to their parent companies.
The report argues that tech giants use a variety of methods to make it difficult or impossible to switch web browsers. It is stated that this not only reduces quality and experience, but can also increase risk. Mozilla evaluates the methods used by companies for this in 5 main categories:
- Limited or frustrating selection: An OS provider makes it difficult and nearly impossible for a consumer to switch browsers. As a result, the user’s right to choose seems to be taken away. Also, the operating system blocks existing competitors and does not want new products to enter the market and provide an increased selection.
- Lower quality: Where the monetary price for consumers is zero (as for browsers), providers can be expected to compete on quality. But without effective competition from standalone scanners, consumers may receive products of lower quality.
- Low innovation: It is innovation associated with quality. Consumers miss out on improvements (for example, advanced features and functionality).
- Poor level of privacy: Consumers may be left with a product that exposes them to forced data sharing, data misuse, or other privacy harms. These results may be an indication of poor quality caused by ineffective competition.
- Unfair contracts: Without proper selection, consumers may be forced to enter into contracts that may be exploitative or unfair.
Of course, such allegations are not new, and more importantly, they are not completely unfounded. With Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS and macOS, and Google Android, it has previously been accused of misleading users and indirectly limiting Web browser choices. These companies have also faced lawsuits that are deemed to be coercion or wisely restricting and affecting their choices.
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