Microsoft is taking a bold move in promoting its Edge browser by injecting advertisements on the Google Chrome download page. The ad, which appears under the address bar, reads “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”
This is a big overstep by Microsoft imo
They are injecting ads *into the Google Chrome download page* pushing their own browser 🫠
This should not be ok pic.twitter.com/QNc3i2sKnz
— Chris Frantz (@frantzfries) February 21, 2023
The Edge browser, which is built on the same technology as Google Chrome, is viewed by Microsoft as an important aspect and entry point for its new Bing search engine. With this new advertisement, Microsoft is aiming to dissuade users from switching to Chrome and instead persuade them to use Edge for a more secure and reliable browsing experience.
This behaviour is currently limited to Windows and is only available on Edge’s preview channel, though a few users are also seeing it in the Stable channel. However, it is already drawing criticism from users who find the ad injection to be egregious. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft will release it to the stable channel, especially after the backlash.
In contrast, Google has a more passive approach in promoting its Chrome browser. If you use Google Search on Safari for Mac, you may see a corner pop-up that says “Google recommends using Chrome.” The key difference is that this advertisement is occurring on a website that Google owns.
It is worth noting that the move by Microsoft is not entirely unprecedented. In the past, the company has used similar tactics to promote its own software, such as in the case of Internet Explorer. Nevertheless, some users may find the Edge advertisement intrusive and may prefer a less aggressive approach to promoting browsers.
