Microsoft Edge and Bing might get a free pass from Europe’s DMA since they aren’t ‘dominant enough’ in digital markets
The European Commission is set to exempt Microsoft’s Bing and the Edge browser from the strict DMA rules.
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What you need to know
Last September,the European Commission listed Microsoft alongside other tech giants as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act. The DMA has been in effect since November 2022 and is in place to foster better competition practices in digital markets and ensure consumers have more options.
Microsoft’s broadly used services like Windows, Bing, and Edge caught the European watchdog’s attention, ultimately leading it to include the company in its gatekeepers list. At the time,the tech giant argued that Bing hadn’t hit the set thresholds to qualify as a gatekeeper, unlike its competitor, Google Search.
But as it now seems, the strict DMA regulations won’t impact Microsoft’s Bing and Edge services. As reported byBloomberg, after looking into both services as part of a five-month-long investigation, which is set to end in February, the EU Commission determined they don’t meet the threshold to warrant regulation as they are not dominant enough.
Admittedly, reports show thatBing’s market share has stagnateddespitethe debut of Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat), which significantly contributed to Bingattaining 100 million daily active users. Microsoft stated that Bing’s value would be negatively impacted if it’s compelled to provide users access to rival search engines.
Companies featured in the gatekeeper list were given six months to comply with the DMA; failure to do so would attract hefty fines and penalties. One of the requirements by the Commission under the DMA is for the gatekeepers to ensure that their services are interoperable.
Microsoft and Google comply with the DMA
Last week, Google highlighted some of the elaborate measures it put in place to comply with the DMA, includingletting users choose Bing and Edge as their default search engine and browser. This could potentially allowMicrosoft to compete with Google for the search market share on an even playing field.
Microsoft has already putelaborate measuresin place in compliance with the DMA too. The company announced that users in the European Economic Area can uninstall Microsoft Edge, disable Bing in Windows Search, and turn off the Microsoft News feed and ads in the Widgets Board on Windows 11.
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Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
