The European Union’s anti-trust regulators have hit Microsoft with a E561-million fine for failing to offer Windows users an alternative to Internet Explorer.
This follows a 2009 agreement that Microsoft would give users a choice of alternative browsers – and which it failed to do for about a year.
The commission hearing the case stated that Microsoft failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from May 2011 until July 2012.
This meant that about 15-million European Windows users did not have the choice of using an alternative browser.
In July 2012, Microsoft apologised for the oversight, citing technical issues that had gone unnoticed. At that stage, it updated Windows 7 and Windows 8 to offer a choice. However, in October, the European anti-trust chief charged Microsoft for not standing by the agreement.
This follows a 2009 agreement that Microsoft would give users a choice of alternative browsers – and which it failed to do for about a year.
The commission hearing the case stated that Microsoft failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from May 2011 until July 2012.
This meant that about 15-million European Windows users did not have the choice of using an alternative browser.
In July 2012, Microsoft apologised for the oversight, citing technical issues that had gone unnoticed. At that stage, it updated Windows 7 and Windows 8 to offer a choice. However, in October, the European anti-trust chief charged Microsoft for not standing by the agreement.