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Comment by gentleman11 | Hacker News Reader

Microsoft already warns you that Firefox might be malware and that edge is more secure sometimes. It’s only one step away from a full ban. Decades ago, they got the monopoly treatment for this stuff

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Isn’t Microsoft gonna get slapped hard by the EU as anti competitive practice? They are already got a fine for that when IE6 was around.

Maybe but if they can go to court and say that Firefox is malware because it’s intentionally breaking OS security features they’ll probably get away with it.

It’s a very different world today than when Microsoft went through antitrust proceedings for IE6. Regulatory authorities worldwide are getting more toothless by the day. Heck Apple doesn’t even let you use alternate browsers or install your own apps and they are celebrated for it. On what basis would there be action against Microsoft now?

> Apple doesn’t even let you use alternate browsers

Are you sure that's true? When I was using my MacBook a year ago, I used Chrome with no problems. Set as default and never had to look at Safari again.

One of the points I've made against Microsoft doing this is not even control freak Apple goes this far.

You can't install different browsers in iOS.

From normal user perpective you can, but technically you can’t. Tough comparison for politics.

You can't install different browsers at all? Or do you mean you can't set them as default?

You can install different browsers and set them as defaults but all of the browsers on iOS must use webkit.

https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#sof...

Are you sure...? I've been using Firefox as my default browser on iOS for awhile now.

It's Safari (WkWebView) dressed up as Firefox. That's all Apple lets them do.

As in Firefox is not rendering content with Gecko, it's rendering via WebKit?

Yes. You aren't allowed alternate browser engines on iOS. Every browser in the App Store is Safari wrapped in different skins.

Ironically that's the main reason why chrome doesn't dominate the browser market completely.

I would almost prefer a Chromium monoculture over having to deal with supporting WebKit, and I say this as a Firefox user.

There's no such thing as a hard slap to a megacorp when we're only talking in fines.

It's sad to see them slipping back to such tactics, as they've made strides in changing their image in the last decade or so. I have to wonder if there was one particular good idea fairy there, and it pained the devs to have to code this "feature" in.

"Full ban"? On windows? What does that mean?

Blacklist all binaries in SmartScreen and Windows Defender, distribute a Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool that deletes it through Windows Update, revoke any Windows or Visual Studio licenses belonging to Mozilla Corp, they have a lot of options actually. But if they tried any of that, there would be consequences.

But then Apple

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