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05.16.12

Microsoft May Face Federal Action for Blocking Rival Web Browsers on ARM

Posted in Microsoft at 10:41 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Asa Dotzler
Asa Dotzler, via WIkipedia

Summary: Mozilla’s call for action is taken seriously by people at The Hill (Washington)

A SHORT while ago we mentioned how Microsoft was using an ARM transition to block competitors (at the OS and application levels).

Mozilla spoke firmly on the subject (thanks, Asa) and according to this report, it may have worked: [via]

The Lede: Senate Judiciary Committee staffers plan to take a look at allegations that Microsoft has made it difficult for competing Web browsers to run on a certain version of Windows, an aide to Antitrust subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) told The Hill Thursday.

The Mozilla Foundation, which makes the Firefox browser, and Google have accused Microsoft of hindering their browsers’ ability to run on Windows devices with ARM processors, which are popular in mobile phones. They say that only Microsoft’s Explorer browser is able to run on the devices.

Swapnil Bhartiya wrote:

Microsoft’s decision to block competitors will raise antitrust concerns. Mozilla warns, ” If Windows on ARM is simply another version of Windows on new hardware, it also runs afoul of the EC browser choice commitments and seems to represent the very behavior the DOJ-Microsoft settlement sought to prohibit.”

Will similar action be taken to address Microsoft’s action against Linux on ARM [1, 2, 3, 4]? █

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