Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizen Coje_He for the clue delivery! CTOnews.com, September 23 (Xinhua)-- Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind Firefox, said that tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google will guide users to use their own browsers. Mozilla claims that companies that control popular operating systems and web services take advantage of their status to basically deprive consumers of their choice.

Mozilla released a report entitled "five walled gardens: why browsers are important to Internet and how the operating system hinders them." The report focuses on how people use web browsers. There is no doubt that the most popular web browsers today are Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Microsoft Edge. Firefox is not far behind, but Mozilla claims that the three most popular browsers enjoy a larger user base because of their parent company.

CTOnews.com learned that the report believes that tech giants use a variety of methods to make it difficult or impossible to switch web browsers. This not only reduces quality and experience, but may also increase risk. Mozilla listed five examples of "operating system self-preference harming consumers".

Limited or frustrating options: operating system providers make it difficult or impossible for consumers to switch browsers, eventually eliminating their own choice. It also hinders existing competitors, prevents new products from entering the market and offers more choices.

Lower quality: if the consumer pays zero currency price (as in the case of browsers), the provider may be expected to compete on quality. But without effective competition from independent browsers, consumers may receive lower-quality products.

Lower innovation: innovation is related to quality. Consumers miss out on development (for example, improved features and functions). A reduction in the likelihood of disruptive innovation may be accompanied by a reduction in consumer choice.

Poor privacy: products that may leave consumers with forced data sharing, data abuse, or other privacy violations. These results may indicate that ineffective competition leads to poor quality.

Unfair contracts: without proper choices, consumers may be forced to sign exploitative or unfair contracts.

Mozilla's claim is not new and, more importantly, not totally groundless. Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS and macOS, as well as Google Android, have previously been accused of guiding users and indirectly limiting their choice of web browsers. These companies also face lawsuits for allegedly distorting consumers or cleverly restricting and influencing users' choices.

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