Brazil: Administrative Council for Economic Defence opened investigation into Microsoft over alleged anticompetitive conduct favouring Edge browser on Windows

On 30 July 2025, Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defence (CADE) opened an investigation into Microsoft following a complaint from Norway-based Opera Software. The complaint alleges that Microsoft is abusing its dominant position in the markets for PC operating systems, productivity software, and web browsers to favour its own browser, Microsoft Edge. Opera claims that Microsoft uses its market power, especially through Windows OS and Microsoft 365, to distort competition in the browser market. According to the complaint, Microsoft requires PC manufacturers to preinstall Edge and offers financial incentives through its “Jumpstart” programme, discouraging them from including rival browsers. These practices are said to raise costs for competitors and limit user choice. The complaint also describes how Microsoft allegedly employs interface tactics to steer users toward Edge, such as persistent pop-ups, hidden settings for changing the default browser, and automatic redirection to Edge in certain functions, regardless of user preferences. In Windows' “S Mode,” non-Microsoft browsers reportedly cannot be installed, while taskbar functions and widgets are said to default exclusively to Edge. Opera argues that these actions reduce visibility for other browsers, undermine competition, and deter innovation, potentially violating Brazil’s competition law (Law No. 12,529/2011). CADE’s General Superintendence found the claims credible enough to warrant further examination and has launched an administrative investigation to assess whether Microsoft’s conduct constitutes an unlawful restriction on competition. The investigation will involve collecting evidence, consulting stakeholders, and reviewing Microsoft's contracts and technical settings.