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Microsoft Edge Accused of Sneakily Importing Firefox Data In Windows 10 (softpedia.com) 48

Posted by BeauHD from the sneaky-bastard dept.
Some Firefox users have discovered that the new default Windows 10 browser, which is shipped to their devices via Windows Update, sometimes imports the data from Mozilla's application even if they don't give their permission. Softpedia reports: Some of these Firefox users decided to kill the initial setup process of Microsoft Edge, only to discover that despite the wizard shutting down prematurely, the browser still copied data stored by Mozilla's browser. Several users confirmed on reddit that this behavior happened on their computers too. Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on this, so for the time being, it's still not known why Edge imports Firefox data despite the initial wizard actually killed off manually by the user. Users who don't want to be offered the new Edge on Windows Update can turn to the dedicated toolkit that Microsoft released earlier this year, while removing the browser is possible by just uninstalling the update from the device.
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Microsoft Edge Accused of Sneakily Importing Firefox Data In Windows 10 More

Microsoft Edge Accused of Sneakily Importing Firefox Data In Windows 10

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  • "Some Firefox users have discovered that the new default Windows 10 browser, which is shipped to their devices via Windows Update, sometimes imports the data from Mozilla's application even if they don't give their permission."

    This is my shocked face.

  • All your data are belong to us (Score:3)

    by thesjaakspoiler ( 4782965 ) on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @06:29PM (#60219694)

    Didn't you read the small print that came with your Windows license?
    You willingly waived your rights to privacy, owning your own data and world peace.

    • I only ever purchase or use second-hand Windows licences that have already been activated.

      I have taken great pains to never agree to any Microsoft agreement.

      Where does that leave us?

  • Thereâ(TM)s a MacOS version of Edge now too. Nothing special really that I could see.

    • Thereâ(TM)s a MacOS version of Edge now too. Nothing special really that I could see.

      I guarantee you that there are regular users of Microsoft Edge for MacOS. For some reason.

  • Some Firefox users have discovered that the new default Windows 10 browser, which is shipped to their devices via Windows Update, sometimes imports the data from Mozilla's application

    That, actually, seems like a fairly benign thing — the data is not even sent to Microsoft, is it?

    But, if you hate Microsoft, just stop giving them money — your only morally-acceptable recourse.

    I switched to FreeBSD in 1993, and never looked back. Nowadays your choices are both wider and more comfortable than mine we

  • Every browser imports data from other browsers. I am not surprised if they load the history DB, bookmarks, etc. It has been a while for me (as I don't use Chrome) but Chrome used to do this (and yes I know what the article states, even when you said "no", chrome still did copy the data to startup the profile).

    • Re:Not Surprising (Score:5, Interesting)

      by godel_56 ( 1287256 ) on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @06:45PM (#60219754)

      Every browser imports data from other browsers. I am not surprised if they load the history DB, bookmarks, etc. It has been a while for me (as I don't use Chrome) but Chrome used to do this (and yes I know what the article states, even when you said "no", chrome still did copy the data to startup the profile).

      They may offer to import your data as an option, but do they do it automatically without asking permission?

      • Re:Not Surprising (Score:5, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @07:43PM (#60220002)

        Every browser imports data from other browsers. I am not surprised if they load the history DB, bookmarks, etc. It has been a while for me (as I don't use Chrome) but Chrome used to do this (and yes I know what the article states, even when you said "no", chrome still did copy the data to startup the profile).

        They may offer to import your data as an option, but do they do it automatically without asking permission?

        Doing it automatically, without permission isn't even the worst part.

        - Hit the user with a maximized Edge Browser , with a modal roadblock window that only has one button that says "Get Started"
        - No option to get rid of the window, you cannot close Edge with the mouse and you cannot escape the modal window.
        - The only option if you don't want to "Get started" is to use task manager to kill it
        - Even when you do, it pins itself to your task bar
        - It puts an Edge icon on your desktop
        - It unsets your default browser, so next time you click a URL from a shortcut, you'll have to re-choose your default browser.

        This is scummy even by Microsoft's low standards.

        • Every browser imports data from other browsers. I am not surprised if they load the history DB, bookmarks, etc. It has been a while for me (as I don't use Chrome) but Chrome used to do this (and yes I know what the article states, even when you said "no", chrome still did copy the data to startup the profile).

          They may offer to import your data as an option, but do they do it automatically without asking permission?

          Doing it automatically, without permission isn't even the worst part.

          - Hit the user with a maximized Edge Browser , with a modal roadblock window that only has one button that says "Get Started" - No option to get rid of the window, you cannot close Edge with the mouse and you cannot escape the modal window. - The only option if you don't want to "Get started" is to use task manager to kill it - Even when you do, it pins itself to your task bar - It puts an Edge icon on your desktop - It unsets your default browser, so next time you click a URL from a shortcut, you'll have to re-choose your default browser.

          This is scummy even by Microsoft's low standards.

          If that's the case, I'd stop using their OS immediately. That would seriously piss me off.
          But, I quit using their OS a long time ago. It's pretty impressive the amount of crap people will put up with for no good reason.

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by Anonymous Coward
            (Mod -1) You quoted everything upchain from your post. We know, we just read them to get to your comment.

            (Mod -1) Yeah, we know you changed to FreeBSD. You told us four posts above this one. Redundant.

        • This is scummy even by Microsoft's low standards.

          I haven't used a Windows machine on a daily basis in quite a few years but that behavior seems right in line with the behavior I remember. It was a huge part of the reason that I left Windows and haven't looked back.

  • So I have Windows 10 2004 (upgraded from 1909 via the "real ISO" not the media creation crap nor the Windows Update "Lets take seven hours to install, while piss fucking around doing nothing". It did not ship with the new Edgium. I have seen no update to the new Edgium. I do not want the new Edgium (I use Firefox). I have taken no action to prevent the upgrade to the new Edgium. Yet the new Edgium does not yet exist on this machine nor been "offered", so what is going on?

    Is Microsoft just completely in

    • Is Microsoft just completely incompetent or what?

      Yes and Yes.

  • This is one reason I dumped Windows, even if you set something, it slaps you in the face and gives a free license to every app in the system to trample over your settings

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kaenneth ( 82978 )

      It's more that users give the apps permissions to assess the registry, and the apps do an end run around the proper APIs.

      Microsoft's own apps are guilty of this; because the Windows team and the other divisions can't work together.

      • MS Firewall as nice as it is, is trampled on by apps that flood it with inbound rules and I cannot even lock it down from them

  • You have to ask? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @07:01PM (#60219826)

    >"it's still not known why Edge imports Firefox data despite the initial wizard actually killed off manually by the user."

    Um, duh. For the same reason they install Edge without the user's consent. They want you to use their chrom* browser. They, like Google, would love to kill off the only remaining multiplatorm, non-chrom* player, Firefox.

    The more chrom* takes over, the less there is browser diversity, user choice/control, security, and free/open standards, and the more control is handed to just a few huge corporations.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Unlikely, that would just invite anti-trust investigations. Google needs Mozilla and Safari to keep going. Hard to say how useful Edge would be as a defence argument now that it is a Chrome skin.

      • They have pretty much already achieved their goal. Doesn't have to be completely eliminated, just reduced in importance enough that it can be ignored. Unfortunately, Firefox is becoming their "token competition."

  • It's not just import (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    It's not just the way Edge wants to import the data, it's also how it got installed:
    1. I don't care about Edge, why should it get installed. But fine, that one I can live with, on the assumption that other things on the system might rely on it.
    2. It pinned its icon in the taskbar. Edge it's not my browser, why should it take valuable space in the taskbar? Why should I be the one making the effort to remove it instead of the people who do want to use Edge?
    3. If the taskbar was not enough, it also created an

    • It's not just the way Edge wants to import the data, it's also how it got installed: 1. I don't care about Edge, why should it get installed. But fine, that one I can live with, on the assumption that other things on the system might rely on it. 2. It pinned its icon in the taskbar. Edge it's not my browser, why should it take valuable space in the taskbar? Why should I be the one making the effort to remove it instead of the people who do want to use Edge? 3. If the taskbar was not enough, it also created an icon on the desktop 4. It started automatically during the next boot, asking to import the data from Firefox. Why couldn't it wait until I start Edge the first time? Why should I spend my time going through that setup when I have zero intention to use Edge?

      This is just another example of Microsoft trying to bully people into using their product.

      So... Why are you using their products? We're long past the time when Microsoft actually mattered.

  • You're worried that Microsoft copied your data from one directory on your machine to another? You've already got Windows installed on your computer; Microsoft already know everything that's on your SSD/HDD. Just get rid of the malware at its source & replace the OS.

  • MS popups (Score:3)

    by speedlaw ( 878924 ) on Tuesday June 23, 2020 @10:33PM (#60220472) Homepage
    Computer updated today. Had to hit Accept on the first screen to get to a second that would allow me to quit out of this unwanted program. I haven't seen popups like this since the 90's. Thanks MS.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Sounds illegal (Score:3)

    by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2020 @01:36AM (#60220754)

    Good old criminal MS (at least in the EU), nothing new here.

  • Spyware's gonna spy, what's the shocking news about it?

  • This is why I run Linux.

    Windows is confined to a VM.

    Between that, Wine and Steam Proton, I'm good.

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