Microsoft Edge is an excellent browser, but its aggressive tactics must stop

I was once a staunch Google Chrome loyalist. But around the COVID-19 era, my workflow, which constantly involves juggling 15 or more open tabs, started bringing my PC to its knees. I needed a change, so I tried Microsoft Edge. Just a different web browser, not a new PC.

It was a revelation. Edge started up in seconds, handled my massive tab load effortlessly, and because it’s built on Chromium, it felt just like home. It even kept the little things I rely on, like the simple right-click “reopen closed tab” feature that Chrome inexplicably dropped. Edge quickly became my permanent PC browser, and I have no plans to leave it.

However, I occasionally fire up Chrome, Firefox, or Brave (which I recently switched to on mobile) to compare features or write a review. The moment I do, Windows practically throws a tantrum. Launch a rival browser? A banner reminds me Edge is faster. Open a new tab? A pop-up begs me to use Copilot. The sheer desperation is exhausting.

That’s why a new open letter from the Browser Choice Alliance (BCA) immediately caught my attention. Addressed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on June 3, 2026, the letter, bluntly titled “Dear Microsoft, Enough is Enough”, calls out the company for leveraging its dominant Windows OS to manipulate, restrict, and distort user choice.

The BCA perfectly captures the frustrations we face. Instead of competing purely on merit, Microsoft uses its ecosystem to force Edge into our workflow. The coalition specifically highlighted the most egregious user-facing tactics, including:

• Intrusive banners: Injecting confusing, exclusive messages when users actively attempt to download competing browsers.

• Sneaky defaults: Using system updates or deceptive interface designs to revert a user’s default browser back to Edge.

• Ignoring user choice: Hardwiring web links in Outlook, Teams, and Windows Search to open in Edge, completely bypassing your default browser settings.

• Blocking easy exits: Preventing the uninstallation of Edge and blocking rival developers from offering a simple “one-click switch” to change defaults.

The alliance is demanding immediate, worldwide changes. They want Microsoft to respect system-level default choices for all web links, end the manipulative interface designs, and restore a fair playing field where browsers compete on actual performance.

I genuinely love Microsoft Edge. It’s a fantastic browser that earns its keep on my PC every day. But a truly superior product shouldn’t need to rely on digital hostage tactics and relentless nagging to retain its user base. The BCA is right: it’s time for Microsoft to let Edge stand on its own merit and give PC users their freedom of choice back.

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