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Microsoft found guilty of violating browser choice commitments in Europe

Published Oct 24th, 2012 9:45AM EDT
Windows Store Mature Games

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In a preliminary ruling, the European Commission has found that Microsoft (MSFT) failed to comply with an order that requires it to offer a choice of web browsers to Windows PC buyers. The software giant previously admitted to a “technical error” in its Windows 7 operating system that prevented a browser choice screen from being displayed. If found guilty, Microsoft could face a fine of up to 10% of its global turnover.

“We take this matter very seriously and moved quickly to address this problem as soon as we became aware of it. Although this was the result of a technical error, we take responsibility for what happened, and we are strengthening our internal procedures to help ensure something like this cannot happen again,” Microsoft said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize for this mistake and will continue to cooperate fully with the Commission.”

EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told reporters on Tuesday that there are “no grounds to pursue an investigation” into the browser options in Windows 8 and Windows RT, Reuters reported. The Redmond, Washington-based company has four weeks to respond to the commission’s charges.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.