In EU, Windows will open links in Start with the default browser instead of Edge

Windows 11 will automatically open links that users click in the Start menu with the default browser instead of always with Edge. Microsoft does not want to say why it is taking this step, but it appears to be because of upcoming European legislation.

Start menu Windows 11,
links open with Edge

The change, which is currently still in a beta of Windows 11, was in the release notes from a week and a half ago, but is only now receiving more attention because The Verge noticed her. Microsoft has not commented on the upcoming change.

According to The Verge, the Digital Markets Act, the upcoming European legislation to regulate gatekeepers, makes it necessary to make this change. This law prescribes, among other things, that users may always adjust settings if they are aimed at directing users to the maker’s products and services.

Clicking on a link in the Start menu, such as search results in the search bar, still leads to Edge, Microsoft’s own browser. It does not matter which browser users have set as their default browser. Microsoft also recently announced that it would be removing Teams from 365 subscriptions under pressure from the EU.