Google Searches for Fight With New MS Browser

Internet search giant Google has a beef with the new Microsoft Web browser that includes a search box sending users to Microsoft’s MSN search service, The New York Times reports.

Google aired concerns about Web-search competition recently to the Justice Department and the European Commission, The Times reports.

Google claims that Microsoft’s new browser will take away user choice and unfairly take traffic and advertising revenue from the competition, according to The Times. Google said built-in search boxes are used as a starting point for 30 percent to 50 percent of searches on browsers where they are available, which in turn can help sell advertisements that appear next to search results, The Times reports.

“The market favors open choice for search, and companies should compete for users based on the quality of their search services,” Google’s Marissa Mayer told The Times. “We don’t think it’s right for Microsoft to just set the default to MSN.”

Microsoft, on the other hand, says it designed its new Internet Explorer 7 browser with users in mind, and the default settings are easy to change, The Times reports.

The new browser, made available in a test version last week for downloading, is expected to be included in Microsoft’s new operating system, Vista, scheduled to be released in January 2007, according to The Times.

Google contends that users should be given a choice when they first start up Internet Explorer 7 by being asked to select their favorite search engine for a default setting, according to The Times, but Microsoft claims this process could complicate browser setup. The companies disagree as to how easy it is for users to navigate the process of changing default settings.

For related CIO content, read Who Uses Google and A Win for Microsoft in Massachusetts?

For related news coverage, read Microsoft Program May Ease Vista Delay Fallout.

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— Compiled by Dave Gradijan