Microsoft removes Browser Choice page after 5 years of compliance with EU ruling

After five long years, EU’s ruling for Microsoft to include a browser choice page for every system that it ships which was imposed in 2009 has now expired and in a prompt move, Microsoft has pulled out the Browser Choice page and will no longer display them to new users of Microsoft’s Windows platform. EU’s decision to impose such directive against the software giant was a result when Microsoft started to ship its Windows operating system with the company’s own web browser the Internet Explorer.

Microsoft started shipping Windows with IE since Windows 95 SR1 beginning with Internet Explorer 2.0 and with subsequent OS releases so does the version increment of IE has also been updated. This moved had Microsoft under investigation not only in the US and EU but also in other regions as well which resulted in a number of fines and penalties that led to a number of headaches which affected the company.

Microsoft was also fined at least $732 Million last year for failing to comply with the EU ruling in which Microsoft put the blame on a “Technical Error” for the system not showing the browser ballot box on some users with Windows 7 Service Pack 1. But as EU’s mandate has expired, Microsoft has now the chance to freely compete with other known browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Opera among others which was seen by many as a free advertising of competing products against the software giant through their Browser ballot box which has a significant impact to the company’s own web browser.