By 6 March 2024, companies, platforms and services indicated by the European Commission as gatekeepers are required to mandatorily comply with the provisions contained in the DMA (Digital Markets Act). The DMA establishes objective criteria for identifying large ones digital platforms which provide central services such as online search engines, app stores and messaging solutions. The regulation is designed to ensure a higher degree of competition in European digital markets, preventing behavior that may hinder users’ free choice and promoting innovation.
Microsoft had already announced a whole series of changes on the functioning of Windows e del browser Edge, studied precisely with the aim of adapting in time to the obligations envisaged by the European DMA. As we announced in another article, Windows 11 will allow you to uninstall Edge and remove Bing search, eradicating it from the integrated search box at the operating system level.
Microsoft Bing and Edge may not require any changes, under the DMA
The news is that, according to Bloomberg, it is highly likely that the European Commission will exempt products such as Bing and Edge from complying with the DMA provisions. According to sources close to the European authorities, in fact, Microsoft tools such as Bing, Edge and even the Redmond company’s advertising platform are not considered a potential threat. They cannot be configured as leading solutions in their respective categories, consequently they currently do not have the resources to monopolize the market. The (burdensome) label of gatekeeper it could therefore decay.
It is not known, at this point, what the consequences of the European decision may be. Which however has yet to be officially confirmed.
In fact, Microsoft could at this point review its plans and avoid, for example, providing the tools for disinstallare Edge both on Windows 11 and on Windows 10. As we explained in the previously mentioned article, in fact, everything is already ready – “behind the scenes” – to activate the system functionality that allows you to remove the Microsoft browser.
This is the configuration file that limits the ability to get rid of Edge to European users only. The developers of the MSEdgeRedirect utility have already taken advantage of this, adding a tool to their program’s interface that automates the operation by leveraging the methodology officially supported by the Redmond company.
Here, the Commission’s orientation could lead Microsoft to make a U-turn by reviewing its positions.
In recent days, Google had also announced the changes being implemented, in order to comply with the provisions contained in the DMA within the established timescales.