The browser wars are heating up again. Opera has filed an antitrust complaint against Microsoft in Brazil, accusing the tech giant of creating an unfair playing field for its Edge browser.
In its complaint, Opera argues that Microsoft’s deals to have Edge pre-installed as the default browser on all Windows computers give it an unfair advantage. But the accusations don’t stop there. Opera also claims Microsoft uses “dark patterns” and other tricky design tactics to actively discourage people from downloading and using rival browsers like Opera.
Aaron McParlan, Opera’s general counsel, said that Microsoft “thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn.” He explained that browsers like Opera are locked out of pre-installation deals, and then Microsoft makes it difficult for users to switch, even when they want to. Opera is asking Brazil’s top economic defense council to step in and take action against Microsoft.
This isn’t the first time these two companies have battled over this issue. It’s a fight that goes back more than a decade. Opera famously sued Microsoft in the European Union back in 2007 with a nearly identical complaint about Microsoft bundling its old Internet Explorer browser with Windows. While that case resulted in some changes, Opera believes Microsoft is back to its old tricks with Edge.
