Google’s claim that search users have choice is “bogus,” Microsoft CEO tells judge::Google’s search dominance creates “vicious cycle,” Satya Nadella testified.

  • BubblyMango@lemmy.wtf
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    35
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    While i agree with them, i do think Microsoft is attempting even worse steps in turning bing/edge into the next google: literally cant open windows help links on any other browser, the task bar’s search functions are bing only, popups about using edge instead of chrome, defaulting 100 file types into edge.

    Those big companiew are shit. They all attempt the same stuff while blaming others for succeeding in doing so.

  • danielfgom@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    22
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    Hypocrite! Every time there’s a Windows update it makes Edge the default browser again. Without the user asking. They should look in mirror!

      • PR_freak@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        1 year ago

        It sneakily asks for Microsoft to select the most secure configuration for your system (or something similar)

        Which means setting edge and bing as default

      • emptiestplace@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Today I was working on a 2019 server. I clicked on IE to download Firefox and it asked me if I wanted Edge. I didn’t want to do anything that might interfere with existing services running, so I said no. I took a phone call, and when I came back … welcome to Edge, I’m so fuckin great - let’s get started!

        I’ve been doing this since the 80s, but this was a surprisingly fresh experience for me.

        • poopkins@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Probably you are not selecting the “recommended settings” in the welcome wizard after a feature update.

          • MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            I also have never had another welcome wizard appear after any update. Only get that after a fresh install. I just update, reboot pc, and it just boots up as normal to desktop with nothing extra.

  • rizoid@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    13
    ·
    1 year ago

    Microsoft is hardly one to be involved in this. They’re just as bad in different ways. But. As far as search goes, I think it’s incredibly simple to change search engines but the problem is Google doesn’t give users that choice up front when installing chrome but even if they did most people don’t give a shit and will just use Google anyway.

    • danielton@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      And the fact that Chrome has a virtual monopoly on the browser market isn’t going to help them either. Other than Firefox and Safari, every other browser is Chrome, and most web devs only test on Chrome.

      It’s IE all over again, and I’m a bit scared that iOS’s app store restrictions are the only thing stopping Chrome from being a complete monopoly.

      • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        While one browser dominating is obviously bad, they at least won the market [roughly] fair and square. Unlike Microsoft which bundles it with their OS and makes it impossible to uninstall.

        • Jamie@jamie.moe
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          1 year ago

          And harasses you ceaselessly to use it, advertises itself if you look up Chrome in it, gets reset back to default on updates for a bunch of file types.

          Sincerely, a Firefox user.

        • danielton@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          1 year ago

          Ever try using Google’s sites in Firefox or Safari? Most people use Google services and started using Chrome because of Google hounding them to switch. Hell, every major site says to just use Chrome now, and if a real Chrome ever comes out for iPhone, people will just download Chrome because it’s what they use on their computer.

          Sincerely, a frustrated Firefox and Safari user

    • Pantoffel@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      There are really only two search engines. Its either Google or Bing. The others exist, but they use Google’s and/or Bing’s search results.

  • rivalary@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    1 year ago

    I feel I have less of a choice in operating system than I do browsers or search. Just saying.

  • db2@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    1 year ago

    Dear Microsoft: I saw your shenanigans from Windows 3.1 onward, you gotta stop making me agree with you in 2023 because it makes me feel dirty. Thanks.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    On Monday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella showed up at the Google antitrust trial to back the Department of Justice’s argument that “Google used unfair tactics”—most significantly, default search contracts—to block opportunities for search competitors like Bing, The Wall Street Journal reported.

    At the trial, Nadella said that in Silicon Valley, Internet search is “the biggest no-fly zone,” which the Journal characterized as “the hardest market to crack.”

    Third-party data showed that “Microsoft’s share of the search market has hardly budged” since adding AI features to Bing, but Google’s lead trial counsel, John Schmidtlein, argued that this was “a direct result of Microsoft’s missteps in Internet search,” not due to Google’s command of the market.

    Nadella also expressed significant concern that emerging AI technology—rather than providing opportunities for competitors like Bing—could ultimately further entrench Google’s dominance in search without the court’s interference.

    “In fact, if anything, I worry a lot that—even in spite of my enthusiasm that there is a new angle with AI—this vicious cycle that I’m trapped in could even become even more vicious because the defaults get reinforced.” He added: “This going to be even worse of a nightmare to make progress in search, because there’s a new avenue” for Google to “lock up essentially” the “thing that feeds” AI models, “which is content.”

    Nadella told the court that to Microsoft, search is “a hard game to make any breakthroughs, but no one can accuse us of not being persistent.”


    The original article contains 618 words, the summary contains 242 words. Saved 61%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • Joker@discuss.tchncs.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Things could be better, but it’s a far cry from the IE monopoly days. It’s amusing to hear Microsoft complain. DDG and Kagi are both very good search engines and DDG is a built-in option on iOS. Kagi even requires a fee and it’s still blowing up in popularity. I think the real issue for Microsoft is nobody chooses Bing.

  • kowcop@aussie.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    I don’t feel trapped into Google for search… the fact is their search engine gives me better results than everyone else’s. It is not like they are restricting my access to others.

    A few years ago my work had Microsoft staff in doing an SQL assessment and the guy doing the works spent a good 5 mins trying to find a Microsoft article in Bing. Eventually he asked me to look away, switched to Google and found it as the top result. I asked why he requested I look away and he said it was against their rules to use Google lol

    • Cranakis @lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      their search engine is better than everyone else’s

      It’s not though. You never even get to see what the competition would be because they lock competitors out of the market.

      I’m really happy about the case against them. This trial is uncovering a bunch of dirty tricks they use. They have far too much power and far too much of our data and are abusing it.

      • 0xD@infosec.pub
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Google is 100% better than the rest. I switched to DDG a few months back and I regularly have to go back to google for technical stuff. DDG oftentimes does not even serve the homepage of a searched company on the first page of the results, lol.