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Opera has accused Microsoft of favoring its own browser in two separate cases: an Internet Explorer and Windows complaint in the European Union in 2007, and a complaint about Edge and Windows in Brazil in 2025. The EU matter ended after Microsoft committed to a browser choice screen, according to Opera. Brazil’s CADE later opened an investigation, but the available reporting does not establish a finding that Microsoft broke the law.
Did Microsoft bundle Internet Explorer with Windows?
Opera’s first complaint concerned Internet Explorer (IE), not today’s Edge browser. On December 13, 2007, Opera announced that it had complained to the European Commission, alleging that Microsoft tied IE to Windows and failed to follow accepted web standards. Those were Opera’s claims, not findings made at the time. Opera’s 2007 announcement described the complaint.
In January 2009, the Commission issued a Statement of Objections setting out its preliminary view of the case. Opera described that view as an accusation of illegal tying. A Statement of Objections is not a final ruling: Microsoft’s contemporaneous response said the Commission would not make a final determination until it had received and assessed the company’s response and held a hearing if Microsoft requested one. Microsoft’s January 2009 statement makes that procedural qualification clear.
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Opera’s retrospective account says the investigation closed in December 2009 after Microsoft committed to a browser choice screen. That screen was the reported outcome of the EU matter; the sources do not describe a court judgment finding Microsoft liable on Opera’s complaint. Opera’s account of the browser choice screen describes the commitment and closure.
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What did Opera allege Microsoft did to push Edge in Brazil?
Opera filed a separate complaint with Brazil’s competition authority, CADE, in July 2025. Opera alleged that Windows devices made Edge the exclusively pre-installed and default browser, that Microsoft incentivized major PC manufacturers, and that its practices confused users or made rival browsers harder to access. These are allegations in Opera’s filing, not established facts or a regulator’s conclusion. Opera’s Brazil complaint announcement sets out its claims.
In February 2026, PC Gamer reported that CADE had opened an investigation following the complaint and was examining Microsoft’s Jumpstart program. Opera and the Browser Choice Alliance allege that the program encourages manufacturers to preinstall Edge. Opera General Counsel Aaron McParlan characterized Microsoft’s conduct by saying, “Microsoft thwarts browser competition on Windows at every turn.” That is McParlan’s view as an interested party, not a finding by CADE. The report establishes an investigation, not infringement or liability. PC Gamer’s February 2026 report covers the investigation and Jumpstart scrutiny.
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Did regulators find Microsoft guilty?
The procedural outcomes differ by case. In the EU, the Commission issued a preliminary Statement of Objections in 2009, and Opera says the investigation closed after Microsoft’s browser-choice commitment. In Brazil, CADE had opened an investigation by the time of the February 2026 report. The available sources do not establish a final CADE finding or the case’s status after that report.
| Case | Browser and jurisdiction | What the sources establish |
|---|---|---|
| Opera complaint, 2007–2009 | Internet Explorer; European Union | Opera alleged tying and standards violations. The Commission issued a preliminary Statement of Objections; Opera says the investigation closed after Microsoft committed to a browser choice screen. |
| Opera complaint, 2025 onward | Edge; Brazil | Opera alleged Windows distribution and defaults favored Edge. A February 2026 report said CADE had opened an investigation; it does not establish a final infringement finding. |
How does the 2026 EU Edge case fit in?
Opera Norway v Commission is a separate legal track concerning the Commission’s decision not to designate Edge as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act. It is not a continuation or outcome of Opera’s 2007 IE complaint or its 2025 CADE complaint. The EU court case listing identifies the DMA litigation.
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Why is the older U.S. browser case mentioned?
The U.S. government’s 1998 proposed findings in United States v. Microsoft provide historical context for earlier concerns about browser competition and the relationship between browsers and operating systems. They predate Opera’s complaints and do not prove Opera’s later allegations about IE or Edge. The Department of Justice’s proposed findings concern that separate U.S. case.
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