Competition authorities of the European Union to investigate whether Microsoft alternative browsers blocks in Windows 8. The investigation follows complaints from various browserbouwers and is part of a larger study.
The larger study deals with the fact that Microsoft in the set-up of Windows is no longer users the choice of which web browsers they if default want to set. That’s gone wrong with a service pack for Windows 7, says Microsoft.
The problem with Windows 8 is not, however, that users with a browser as the default set, but that browserbouwers find that they have no opportunity to make competing browsers, writes news agency Reuters. What browsermakers have complained, is unknown, but there will in any case Mozilla and Google sit. Both companies were in this spring, bright against the way in which Microsoft for access to certain api’s blocks in Windows 8. Browserbouwers fear, moreover, that the installation of the browser on Windows RT, the version for ARM chips, as a whole is blocked.
It is unclear when the competition authorities in their investigation will conclude. Usually the duration of such studies months to years. Moreover, the EU will probably try Microsoft to persuade the concerns by giving access to the apis.