Microsoft has rectified an error that caused its Edge browser to function improperly, automatically importing data and tabs from Chrome without user consent. The issue became noticeable after the latest Windows 11 update – Edge would auto-launch with tabs that had been open in Chrome before a reboot.
Microsoft received numerous queries from users regarding this but remained silent. The error was fixed in the latest Edge update. Here’s how the developer commented on the new browser version: “Edge has a feature that allows import of data from other browsers with the user’s consent at every launch. The status of this feature might not have synced and displayed correctly across devices. It’s fixed now.”
In other words, the automatic data import setting was “not syncing and not displaying correctly.” There were no further comments from Microsoft, possibly because such actions align with Edge’s notoriously aggressive promotion strategy, often via regular Windows updates. The browser icon would spontaneously appear on the desktop and taskbar without the user’s knowledge, and attempts to download Chrome would trigger a series of extra questions.
The company behind Firefox browser, Mozilla, recently commissioned a study on “Microsoft’s tactics and their impact on consumers.” This includes unscrupulous interface design contradicting the company’s own recommendations and aimed at combating competing browsers. For example, clicking on links in widgets, Outlook, and Teams can cause pages to open in Edge.
Within the European region, such activity was examined under the “Digital Markets Act” (DMA) – allowing local users to uninstall Edge and set Google as the default search engine. The law’s regulations apply only to Windows, so no changes need to be made in Edge itself.
