EU Investigating Microsoft Over IE Bundling Again 299
vu1986 writes, quoting GigaOm: "Microsoft has confessed to violating its browser choice agreement with European antitrust regulators, after they opened up a fresh investigation into the company's behavior. This is a big deal, not least because it means the company could now face a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual turnover — $7 billion at last count."
Microsoft agreed in 2009 to inform users they could install other browsers. They did, mostly, but Windows 7SP1 users didn't get the software update. Microsoft is claiming it was just a software bug, and have taken actions to fix it.
A little too late Microsoft (Score:5, Interesting)
" 'we learned recently that weâ(TM)ve missed serving the BCS software to the roughly 28 million PCs running Windows 7 SP1.' Microsoft says it started distributing the BCS software to Windows 7 SP1 machines on 3 July, a couple of business days after discovering the problem."
If the users have already turned-on their new machines, then they are already PAST the browser choice screen. It is pointless to install it after the fact and Microsoft is in violation of the terms of the lawsuit. Furthermore does anyone really believe it was a "mistake"? Last time I told a cop I made a mistake and thought the green left arrow w/ red stoplight meant "go" instead of stop, he just laughed and gave me a ticket. There's really no room to let Microsoft go, else it sets the precedent that criminals can just say "ooops I made a mistake" and be left free to go.
Apple First (Score:2, Interesting)
Sure, go after Apple's iOS boot loader lock first, since they have several times the number of devices as Microsoft that are affected by a lock.
Euro Mania (Score:4, Interesting)
28 million PCs sold ---
and no one notices or gives a damn about the missing browser ballot.
Not a word.
Not a whisper from Opera.
Google. Mozilla...
Until today, Slashdot, Ars Technica, The Register and all the rest have been as silent as the grave.
Meanwhile in another part of the forest ... (Score:4, Interesting)
... I get a not-very-computer-literate relative asking me "why TF does my new machine keep on and on asking me if I really want to use IE, despite me keeping on telling it yes I do, and please shut up about it?"
Re:A little too late Microsoft (Score:5, Interesting)
>>>If you fine a company because of a bug in their software this is really not understanding how software development works.
This isn't a bug. This is leaving-out the installation of a distinct piece of software: the browser select program. It would be equivalent to if Microsoft "forgot" to include Windows Media Player for new Win7 PCs. (Which never happens.)
It may have been a mistake due to incompetence, but more likely it was down on purpose. Microsoft is only admitting it now because they were caught, else we'd not hear about it.
Re:what about there boot loader lock in (Score:5, Interesting)
That won't happen
The recently deobfuscated https://joindiaspora.com/posts/1799228 [joindiaspora.com] Skype binaries show there's a (US?) Government backdoor.
Apparently security agencies were unhappy that encryption and decentralised super nodes made Skype too hard to intercept. The government made funds/incentives available, and Microsoft bought Skype. Microsoft immediately switched Skye away from the peer-to-peer supernodes and over to servers under the control of Microsoft and their government agency sponsors..
Since the VOIP traffic now goes through Microsoft servers, and Microsoft has the encryption keys, they and their partners can monitor all Skype calls and messages.
Opening the protocols/standards would allow for decentralizing again, which they wouldn't accept.