EU finds that Microsoft has failed to comply with its browser choice commit

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

EU finds that Microsoft has failed to comply with its browser choice commitments

A "technical error" that prevented 28 million PCs running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from seeing a browser choice screen could result in a charges for Microsoft, EU regulators revealed today. The European Commission says that it takes a preliminary view "that Microsoft has failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1."

Microsoft admitted to a "technical error" earlier this year after the European Commission announced its plans to investigate how millions of PCs running Windows 7 Service Pack 1 did not display a browser choice screen. The software maker has corrected the error, but if found guilty of breaching its legally binding commitments, Microsoft may be fined up to 10 percent of its total annual turnover.

Source: The Verge

[Knife Party]

good.

[ScorpioRGc1]

The EU must need money again.

[mrchas1]

I wonder how much money the EU will extort from MS this time...

[aniv]

lol @ the EU. Who is worse MPAA, RIAA or EU?

[thealexweb]

Well once they admitted it it was pretty like this is what the outcome would be XD

[theyarecomingforyou]

I wonder how much money the EU will extort from MS this time...

Microsoft violated EU law and was fined accordingly. Similar laws have been violated in the US but all they need to do is donate to a few political campaigns - via official donations, lobbying and backdoor bribes - to get the government to look the other way. Trying to paint the US system as less corrupt is laughable.

[nvllsvm]

Microsoft violated EU law and was fined accordingly. Similar laws have been violated in the US but all they need to do is donate to a few political campaigns - via official donations, lobbying and backdoor bribes - to get the government to look the other way. Trying to paint the US system as less corrupt is laughable.

While the US may have a more corruptible system, at least it is willing to look past a ridiculous regulation such as this.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

Well I can safely say I got presented with the browser choice screen, despite going in to windows update and hiding the update so it wouldn't install.

I'm just waiting for the day its ruled Windows needs one for Media players too.

[Calum Veteran]

In the meantime, it's completely fine for Apple to continue bundling their browser with their operating system, not being made to ask users to choose. Oh, and what's that? Google are likewise allowed to do that with Android, despite it having the most market share out of all smartphone operating systems? Oh, how fair.

[trag3dy]

Well I can safely say I got presented with the browser choice screen, despite going in to windows update and hiding the update so it wouldn't install.

I'm just waiting for the day its ruled Windows needs one for Media players too.

Don't forget word processors, photo viewers, calculators, and instant messengers. Gotta be fair.

[caerma]

f@ck EU

[Alladaskill17]

EU failsauce, desperate for cash again.

[coresx]

Same old anti EU comments. So silly. How can you honestly believe such dribble.

Microsoft failed to comply, now they get a punishment. If they didn't EU wouldn't have to fine them. Why is that so wrong ?

The browser landscape might be different now but the ruling wasn't made just now. Microsoft have to live with it until the EU decides otherwise.

[remixedcat]

In the meantime, it's completely fine for Apple to continue bundling their browser with their operating system, not being made to ask users to choose. Oh, and what's that? Google are likewise allowed to do that with Android, despite it having the most market share out of all smartphone operating systems? Oh, how fair.

Ths and then some! and yet polluters get fined a couple million.... :/

[trag3dy]

Same old anti EU comments. So silly. How can you honestly believe such dribble.

Microsoft failed to comply, now they get a punishment. If they didn't EU wouldn't have to fine them. Why is that so wrong ?

The browser landscape might be different now but the ruling wasn't made just now. Microsoft have to live with it until the EU decides otherwise.

Well the entire situation was nonsense from the beginning. MS should not be forced to advertise other peoples products. Unless you're running a retail store or are a cars salesman no other business in the world has to do that.

That just makes any fines they are forced to pay that much more of a joke.

[coresx]

In the meantime, it's completely fine for Apple to continue bundling their browser with their operating system, not being made to ask users to choose. Oh, and what's that? Google are likewise allowed to do that with Android, despite it having the most market share out of all smartphone operating systems? Oh, how fair.

Do they have 90%+ of the market, convicted monoplist ?

No.

Google are being investigated for something else though. Does that make the EU a big meanie looking for money ?

Again, no.

[Arceles]

EU is far better than some politics that USA has been recently adopted... I mean, they may be a bit bad, but it's yet to be compared with USA.

[Noir Angel]

In the meantime, it's completely fine for Apple to continue bundling their browser with their operating system, not being made to ask users to choose. Oh, and what's that? Google are likewise allowed to do that with Android, despite it having the most market share out of all smartphone operating systems? Oh, how fair.

As much as I despise Apple, they aren't a monopoly in the PC market, in fact they don't even come close to being one. Their behaviour in iOS however should be looked at in my opinion.

Microsoft violated EU law and was fined accordingly. Similar laws have been violated in the US but all they need to do is donate to a few political campaigns - via official donations, lobbying and backdoor bribes - to get the government to look the other way. Trying to paint the US system as less corrupt is laughable.

Precisely this, the EU are trying to stop our people being enslaved by corporate entities, unlike in America where it seems to be actively encouraged. They have my support for doing so.

[Max Norris]

Do they have 90%+ of the market, convicted monoplist ?

A monopoly implies that the end user is being denied the option to choose whichever browser they wish... which anyone can plainly see isn't the case.. if it was a monopoly you wouldn't be able to install Chrome or Firefox or whatever.. that's kind of the whole point. It's just the default browser that's bundled with the OS... just like every other OS out there has a default. So they're being penalized for being the popular OS of choice? Or are you saying that it's "fair" because of the OS monopoly.. completely ignoring the fact that there's alternatives such as OSX or the OEMs that sell Linux systems? The 1995 evil M$ playbook isn't exactly up to date anymore.

[bcaulf]

It's surprising to me how the posters here have lined up along the lines of Americans attacking the EU decision and Europeans supporting it. I think it's misguided nationalism by Americans. I'm American and I support both the original EU decision and this enforcement action.

MS was convicted, not of being a monopoly but of leveraging their OS monopoly to get a browser monopoly. That is what they did, taking the market from Netscape by giving away the browser then introducing incompatibilities to make it very costly to develop for IE plus anything else. There's no longer an IE monopoly today but when there was one, it was a nightmare.

At one point much of MS's strategy was nothing more than abuse of their OS monopoly. Future abusers of monopolies must be deterred for the common good. As such, consent agreements must be enforced and proscribed penalties must be paid. I don't want to live in a world where the marketplace is dominated by abusive monopolies. It would cost us all much more than the price of some fines.

[theyarecomingforyou]

In the meantime, it's completely fine for Apple to continue bundling their browser with their operating system, not being made to ask users to choose. Oh, and what's that? Google are likewise allowed to do that with Android, despite it having the most market share out of all smartphone operating systems? Oh, how fair.

Android is an open platform and Google doesn't force you to buy apps from the Google Play, unlike Microsoft which requires Metro apps to be distributed through the Windows Store. Google is being investigated by the EU for privacy policy issues and has been investigated by the EU. And Apple was investigated for warranty issues and should be investigated for the way it sells apps.

The reality is that the EU takes a much more active role in the market place to prevent abuse.

[trag3dy]

It's surprising to me how the posters here have lined up along the lines of Americans attacking the EU decision and Europeans supporting it. I think it's misguided nationalism by Americans. I'm American and I support both the original EU decision and this enforcement action.

You mean like how people from the EU are constantly posting in threads about American politics (gun control) and telling us how we're doing it wrong? Anything at all like that?

The point is geographical location has nothing to do with it. It's a forum, we can discuss our opinions if we want to.

[Clirion]

Android is an open platform and Google doesn't force you to buy apps from the Google Play, unlike Microsoft which requires Metro apps to be distributed through the Windows Store. Google is being investigated by the EU for privacy policy issues and has been investigated by the EU. And Apple was investigated for warranty issues and should be investigated for the way it sells apps.

The reality is that the EU takes a much more active role in the market place to prevent abuse.

Using that arguement, as Windows 8 has not been offically relased yet, MS does not need to do this, but should be looked at for privacy issues.

Windows 7 applications (This was in reguards to a Windows 7 Serivce Pack Issue) allows you to install applcaitons from anywhere and does not require you to install them from the Windows Store.

How the EU enforces their laws and fines companies is the EU's business. And for those that wonder why MS just does not stop selling to the EU, do you honestly think that there is not monies put aside for legal issues/enforcment/fines? Its a part of the cost of doing business and well worth having.

[BajiRav]

Android is an open platform and Google doesn't force you to buy apps from the Google Play, unlike Microsoft which requires Metro apps to be distributed through the Windows Store. Google is being investigated by the EU for privacy policy issues and has been investigated by the EU. And Apple was investigated for warranty issues and should be investigated for the way it sells apps.

The reality is that the EU takes a much more active role in the market place to prevent abuse.

What is forcing people to use Metro apps and in turn use only Microsoft store? Aren't you one of the vocal Metro haters and if yes, why do care if only Microsoft can sell metro apps?