De-Enshittify Windows 11: Microsoft Edge ⭐

Note: This is an early peek at a chapter from my next book, De-Enshittify Windows 11. This book will be available for purchase soon, hopefully by the end of February. But I'm happy to reveal that Thurrott Premium members will get the book for free. And I will publish each chapter to this site, as I do for the main Windows 11 Field Guide, and update as needed. --Paul

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Microsoft Edge is the modern successor to Internet Explorer, but it's also a key vector for enshittification in Windows 11. For this reason, it's important to configure this web browser correctly. And that's true whether you intend to use Microsoft Edge or not.
⚠️ Warning: Do not ignore this chapter if you use a different web browser.

The problems with Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is the most malicious software that Microsoft bundles with Windows 11. The problems with this app are many. But key malicious behaviors include:

Online tracking. Microsoft Edge tracks your online activities so Microsoft can harvest your personal data, target you with advertising, and sell that information to other data brokers and online advertisers that will expand this abuse.

Online tracking with other apps. Because Microsoft Edge is the basis for the web app platform in Windows 11, many in-box and third-party apps are secretly running Microsoft Edge in the background. And that means you are still being tracked online, even if you use a different web browser.

Windows 11 ignores your default web browser choice. If you configure another web browser as the default, as most will, Windows 11 will ignore your choice and launch Microsoft Edge when you perform certain actions in Windows 11, ignoring your choice include clicking a widget or news feed article in Widgets, clicking a web link in Search highlights, clicking a web link in the Get Help in-box app, and using the Copilot app in Windows 11.

Microsoft uses dark patterns that fool users into agreeing to even more online tracking. If you choose to use Microsoft Edge, the browser uses dark patterns—lies—when you initially set it up to convince you to change the default configuration in ways that benefit Microsoft but open you up to even more online tracking.

Microsoft Edge ignores your web browser customizations. If you use Microsoft Edge and customize it in certain ways, it will harass you to change the configuration back to the defaults because they benefit Microsoft. This happens when you change the default search engine away from Bing, disable certain features in the default New Tab page (which displays content from Microsoft Start and other Microsoft services and is full of hidden tracking and advertising), change the New Tab page to a third-party option, and more. In some cases, Edge will even change the configuration back to the Microsoft default without informing you.

Microsoft Edge continues harassing you to enable optional features that will further expose you to more Microsoft tracking and advertising. If ...