EC Issues Microsoft Browser Choice Statement Of Objections

The European Commission has sent its statement of objections to Microsoft in relation to the company’s failure to offer Windows users a choice of web browsers.

The EC said its statement of objections does not prejudge the final outcome. Microsoft’s commitment to offer users a browser choice until 2014 was made legally binding in December 2009 in an effort to ease the Commission’s competition concerns.

The computing giant can reply in writing and request an oral hearing to present its argument, but if it is found to have breached its commitments, it could be fined up to ten percent of its total annual turnover.

Microsoft browser choice row

“In its statement of objections, the Commission takes the preliminary view that Microsoft has failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1, which was released in February 2011,” said the EC in a statement.

“From February 2011 until July 2012, millions of Windows users in the EU may not have seen the choice screen. Microsoft has acknowledged that the choice screen was not displayed during that period.”

Microsoft has acknowledged the problem, but has attributed it to a technical glitch, which it claims it only discovered on 1 July. It says that it worked to rectify the situation the very next day and offered to extend the browser choice option by an additional 15 months as evidence of its commitment. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has already promised  to offer a choice of browsers in its upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

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