12:59 PM EDT, 10/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with comment from Vivaldi in the fifth paragraph.)

Microsoft ( MSFT ) provides an unfair advantage to its Edge web browser, and the company should face strict European Union regulators rules, three rival browsers and a group of web developers said in a letter to the European Commission, Reuters reported Thursday.

Vivaldi, Waterfox, Wavebox and Open Web Advocacy said they support Opera in its case against the commission for exempting Microsoft's ( MSFT ) Edge from the Digital Markets Act, the report said.

"Unfair practices are currently allowed to persist on the Windows' ecosystem with respect to Edge, unmitigated by the choice screens that exist on mobile," the letter dated Sept. 17 said, according to the report.

The commission and Microsoft ( MSFT ) declined to comment, Reuters said.

"We were more than surprised when Edge was not designated as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act," Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner told MT Newswires. "It's crystal clear that Microsoft ( MSFT ) gives Edge an unfair advantage. Hence, EU antitrust regulators should subject it to tough EU tech rules."

Microsoft ( MSFT ) declined to comment to MT Newswires, and Wavebox, Open Web Advocacy and the commission didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Waterfox couldn't be reached immediately.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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