Apple, Google, Microsoft and others have essentially locked users out of their web browsers through their operating system platforms' default settings, giving platform makers an unfair advantage over competitors, according to a new report from the maker. from Firefox, Mozilla.
Mozilla researchers found that every platform maker "wants to keep people in their walled garden" by directing mobile and desktop users to Apple Safari, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge. "Today's top five platforms (Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft) bundle their respective browsers with their operating systems and set them as the default OS in the main home screen or port position," Mozilla wrote. it's a statement. 66 page report.
Mozilla claims that while many people claim to know how to install a browser in theory, "many people never actually install an alternative browser in practice."
Browser users are also concerned that the switch will lose years of data, such as passwords, bookmarks, and history, and because operating system developers don't make it easy to port this data, making the switch later difficult. “This amplifies the power of the operating system, which can choose to stifle competition (by doing nothing or even avoiding change) or help consumers (by facilitating data transfer),” Mozilla explained.
Forcing users to use a preselected browser also stifles innovation, Mozilla said. "The lack of browser diversity leaves people exposed when it comes to improving security and privacy. Browsers are powered by a 'browsing engine,' which significantly impacts a browser's capability," Mozilla said.
Apple, Mozilla noted, requires all developers implementing iOS browsers to use Apple's own Safari WebKit engine. When security issues arise in WebKit, all iOS browser users are equally vulnerable until Apple finds, fixes, and releases fixes. "This is just one of the reasons why a range of browsers, using different browser engines, is desirable," Mozilla said.
Surely Firefox feels left out. In 2009, Firefox usage peaked at 32%, surpassing Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE 7) at the time. Along with a long list of available plugins, Firefox has been praised for its speed and security measures over IE. However, shortly after the cross-platform launch of Google Chrome in 2010, Firefox began to lose ground.
Jack Gold, principal analyst at research firm J. Gold Associates, said earlier versions of Microsoft browsers, such as early Internet Explorers, provided a poor user experience, were slow and often did not display all of the features. web pages correctly, unless they are formally endorsed by C 'EST À DIRE. This made many users switch to Chrome, Firefox and others.
“But those days are pretty much over because most users wouldn't complain about the browsing experience they get from browsers installed today,” Gold said by email. "I really don't see an attractive market for third-party browsers for the vast majority of users. That's the real challenge facing Firefox and others. And the leaders (Apple, Google, MSFT) will always point out the supposed benefits of versus the competition.
Today, the fact that Apple, Google, Mozilla and Samsung are the only major browser engine makers left should be a clear clue that users simply don't have other innate choices, Mozilla said.
Google weighs
A Google spokesperson responded to Mozilla's report, saying that regardless of platform, people choose Chrome because it's fast, secure, and provides the best experience.
"We also make it easy for people to change default browsers and have meaningful browser choices, unlike Microsoft putting up barriers to switching to different browsers or Apple forcing browsers to use the WebKit engine, ultimately limiting browser choice." user," the spokesperson said in an email. response to "Computerworld".
“And we made the underlying Chrome code freely available to everyone; in fact, it is now being used to power competing browsers including Microsoft Edge, Brave, Samsung Internet and Arc,” the spokesperson continued. "Most Android devices come with more than one browser, and the browsers can use any browser engine they choose."
Microsoft declined to comment; Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Google noted that around 66% of Windows users and 26% of Mac users choose Chrome as their browser, even though it is not pre-installed on those operating systems.
The company also criticized Windows 10 and 11 for making it difficult for users to change or use default browsers outside of Edge, a previously reported claim. Windows, he said, also uses app URLs that force users to open links from mail or apps to Edge, even when a user has set a different default browser.
According to Statista, worldwide, Chrome today has a huge advantage over all other browsers in the mobile and desktop market. On mobile, Chrome has a 62% market share. Apple's Safari comes in second with 26%. Firefox claims less than half a percent market share.
On desktop, Firefox is doing slightly better, with a 7,7% market share. But Chrome claims a solid lead there, too, with a 67% market share. Edge comes in second with 11%, followed by Safari with 8,5%, according to Statista.
UK competition agency sees a 'duopoly'
In June, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Google and Apple had an "effective duopoly" in mobile ecosystems that gives them absolute control over operating systems, mobile stores, applications and web browsers on mobile devices.
The CMA said that 97% of all mobile web browsing in the UK in 2021 happened on browsers powered by Apple or Google browsers. “Apple prohibits alternatives to its own navigation engine on its mobile devices; a restriction that is unique to Apple,” the CMA said.
According to the report, mobile devices also often come with Google's Chrome or Apple's Safari pre-installed and set as default at the time of purchase, giving them a key advantage over the competition. "Apple and Google have strong positions in mobile web browsing, with a combined supply share of around 90% for their browsers," the CMA report said.
Citing European Commission research in its report, Mozilla said platform makers' specific operating system design tactics essentially eliminate the consumer's ability to choose any other browser. For example, in mid-2022, Windows 11 presented users installing the operating system with a blue-highlighted message that read, "Use Microsoft-recommended browser settings." The preselected option comes with a check mark, while the "Don't update your browser settings" alternative comes with a confusing icon, Mozilla said.
The use of the words "settings" and "update" implies that the user may be harmed by selecting this option because, for example, they may not be running the most recent version, Mozilla has said.
"We believe that if people were given a meaningful opportunity to try alternative browsers, they would find many attractive replacements for the default one that came with their operating system," the Mozilla report says. "Platforms can and must do better for consumers and developers."
Google cites its open standards
Google noted that its investment in an open source browser engine and open web standards has made the web more interoperable and better for developers. Its open standards, he said, have also benefited developers who can create new browsers that differ in consumer features without worrying that websites won't work well on different devices or browsers.
As for Apple and WebKit, Google sided with Mozilla, saying the CMA has refuted Apple's claims that developers use WebKit for their security. Also, Webkit has taken longer to fix bugs than other major browsers, according to Google.
The bottom line, Gold said, is that browsers that offer default systems have an advantage in the marketplace, especially since many users don't care or even know how to change.
“Is it a monopolistic practice? Many think so and Microsoft and Apple have been fined because Google is now fined too, especially in the EU,” Gold said. "And while Google might say their browser is the fastest, for most users they probably wouldn't notice such a difference. That's like saying the Apple M1 is faster than Intel Core chips; it only matters at the edge of computing.
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