Microsoft patches Edge bug stealing Chrome tabs and data

Microsoft has addressed an issue in which its Edge browser was once again misbehaving, this time by automatically transferring browsing data and tabs from Chrome without permission.

Users encountered the glitch when restarting their PC for a routine Windows update. After the update, Microsoft Edge opened with the same Chrome tabs they were using before the update.

Microsoft has now discreetly rolled out a solution in the latest update for Microsoft Edge.

"Edge includes a feature that offers the choice to import browser data from other browsers with user consent upon each launch. It appears that this feature's status may not have been syncing and displaying accurately across multiple devices, which has now been rectified.," Microsoft said in a statement.  

This fix indicates that the configuration for managing the automatic import of browsing data was not synchronizing and displaying correctly across devices. 

This glitch may have stemmed from the company's history of employing tactics reminiscent of spyware developers to promote its web browser. Although this recent issue may be a mere bug, Microsoft has employed various strategies, such as monthly Windows updates that automatically launch Edge and pin it to the desktop and taskbar without consent, as well as prompts that suddenly appear to discourage users from downloading Chrome. 

Mozilla, the developer of the Firefox browser, commissioned a research paper to investigate Microsoft's strategies and their impact on consumers. The paper delves into Microsoft's use of detrimental design tactics that contradict the company's own design principles and can undermine competition from rival browsers. 

These tactics include subtle methods to steer Windows 11 users towards Edge, disregarding the default browser when a link is clicked from the Windows Widgets panel or search results. Last year, Microsoft also began mandating that Outlook and Teams open links in Edge, leading to frustration among IT administrators. 

Some of these tactics will be addressed through the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in EEA markets, which encompass EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. These changes will enable Windows 11 users in these markets to uninstall Edge and permit search providers like Google to expand the main Windows Search interface with their own customized web searches. 

While the DMA regulations pertain to Windows, Microsoft will not be required to make alterations to Edge, Bing, or Microsoft Advertising, as they are exempt from the DMA rules. Mozilla notes that Microsoft has recently committed to discontinuing certain actions aimed at compelling users to adopt Edge over other browsers, but these changes only address a limited number of the tactics outlined in the report and will solely be implemented for users in the EEA. 

Source: Newsroom