5 ms·

Edge is a reskinned Chromium browser with Microsoft tracking and telemetry baked in. Just because they have a VPN now, it doesn't make it any more private/secur

Edge is a reskinned Chromium browser with Microsoft tracking and telemetry baked in. Just because they have a VPN now, it doesn't make it any more private/secure. Why do people use Edge? If you're any way privacy conscious you wouldn't use Microsoft products.

Kwpolska 4y ago
My primary browser is Firefox. I have Edge as my backup browser for sites that don’t work with Firefox, and sometimes for watching stuff. There is no reason for me to install Chrome. (And Microsoft isn’t that bad, even if Edge sometimes does weird things.)
- Koshkin 4y ago
  > for watching stuff ... while the browser is watching you [1]. > Microsoft isn’t that bad Yes it is. That bad. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Soviet_Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Soviet_Russia
timbit42 4y ago
I'd choose Edge over Chrome if I didn't have better options.
cookiengineer 4y ago
I would be cautious with such assumptions. There is a good reason why Trident is alive and kicking, people just don't know about it. But it's the reason for more than 98% of exploits, because shitty software of Microsoft still uses Trident to render MSHTML based documents (office etc). The same will be true for a traffic-observing webview2, for decades to come. And it will never be removed again, because of Microsoft's development philosophy.
A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
In my case, it is the default browser at my current company. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but we are also forced into Teams. Corporate requirements is my reason. FWIW, it is not bad performance-wise.
- rejectfinite 4y ago
  So, I do use Firefox. But for a windows domain environment Edge makes sense. - Comes builtin, no need to patch browsers separately and worry about outdated Google Chrome installs in a 1000+ computer fleet. - Integrates with Office 365 that the company already use/pay for. - Can be managed with policy over Office 365 or Intune - Has IE Enterprise Mode for the old apps that need IE11 For Teams, the alternative is this: - Pay for Zoom AND Slack AND Office 365 AND have IT personell manage all 3 - Pay for Gsuite and use... hangouts? or - Just pay for Office 365 and get email, fileshare, office suite and chat/fileshare/video tool all in one that works "fine" and can be managed all in admin.microsoft.com (that goes into 500 different portals that all change each month but I digress...) Oh, and you can use whatever browser, even if its not the default. I use Firefox but Edge is the default one.
tester756 4y ago
If you're using Windows, what's the point of using Chrome if you already have Edge? You're already sending data to MS anyway
- MichaelCollins 4y ago
  What's the point of using either of those when you could use an ungoogled chromium build? (I use Firefox, but if I were to use a chromium browser it wouldn't be Edge or Chrome...)
  - tester756 4y ago
    Because you gotta trust people behind ungoogled Chromium I don't know them, so I don't trust them.
    - poopnugget 4y ago
    - s3p 4y ago
      Waiting for the /sarcasm tag
    - fsflover 4y ago
      But we do know people behind Microsoft are not to be trusted with our privacy... See PRISM and their data collection practices.
      - tester756 4y ago
        The thing is about what data MS wants and what bad actor in ungoogled chromium would want e.g MS doesn't want to steal money from my card
        BiteCode_dev 4y ago
        Indeed, they will lock you in to get it legally.
seabriez 4y ago
Based on what source exactly? Microsoft is about equivalent to privacy protections as Apple, if not more so.
- isoprophlex 4y ago
  I beg to differ. Please compare the severity and extent of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft#Privacy_issues https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft#Privacy... with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc. Depending on how you weigh the issues MSFT is far from equivalent on privacy
  - woojoo666 4y ago
    It seems that both had alleged collaborations with PRISM. The main difference I see between the two wiki articles, is that people complain about Microsoft's telemetry but not Apple's (even though they do have a lot of telemetry [1]). In general it feels like Apple has won the trust of the public, partially through good products, partially through good marketing. [1]: https://mspoweruser.com/macos-big-sur-has-its-own-telemetry-privacy-nightmare/ https://mspoweruser.com/macos-big-sur-has-its-own-telemetry-...
- mtgx 4y ago
  I can't tell if serious or ... Windows 10 is a privacy disaster compared to previous versions of Windows. They track every single app and website you open, what files you have on your PC, and much more.

Kwpolska 4y ago

My primary browser is Firefox. I have Edge as my backup browser for sites that don’t work with Firefox, and sometimes for watching stuff. There is no reason for me to install Chrome. (And Microsoft isn’t that bad, even if Edge sometimes does weird things.)

Koshkin 4y ago
> for watching stuff ... while the browser is watching you [1]. > Microsoft isn’t that bad Yes it is. That bad. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Soviet_Russia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Soviet_Russia

timbit42 4y ago

I'd choose Edge over Chrome if I didn't have better options.

cookiengineer 4y ago

I would be cautious with such assumptions. There is a good reason why Trident is alive and kicking, people just don't know about it. But it's the reason for more than 98% of exploits, because shitty software of Microsoft still uses Trident to render MSHTML based documents (office etc). The same will be true for a traffic-observing webview2, for decades to come. And it will never be removed again, because of Microsoft's development philosophy.

A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago

In my case, it is the default browser at my current company. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but we are also forced into Teams. Corporate requirements is my reason. FWIW, it is not bad performance-wise.

rejectfinite 4y ago
So, I do use Firefox. But for a windows domain environment Edge makes sense. - Comes builtin, no need to patch browsers separately and worry about outdated Google Chrome installs in a 1000+ computer fleet. - Integrates with Office 365 that the company already use/pay for. - Can be managed with policy over Office 365 or Intune - Has IE Enterprise Mode for the old apps that need IE11 For Teams, the alternative is this: - Pay for Zoom AND Slack AND Office 365 AND have IT personell manage all 3 - Pay for Gsuite and use... hangouts? or - Just pay for Office 365 and get email, fileshare, office suite and chat/fileshare/video tool all in one that works "fine" and can be managed all in admin.microsoft.com (that goes into 500 different portals that all change each month but I digress...) Oh, and you can use whatever browser, even if its not the default. I use Firefox but Edge is the default one.

tester756 4y ago

If you're using Windows, what's the point of using Chrome if you already have Edge? You're already sending data to MS anyway

MichaelCollins 4y ago
What's the point of using either of those when you could use an ungoogled chromium build? (I use Firefox, but if I were to use a chromium browser it wouldn't be Edge or Chrome...)
- tester756 4y ago
  Because you gotta trust people behind ungoogled Chromium I don't know them, so I don't trust them.
  - poopnugget 4y ago
  - s3p 4y ago
    Waiting for the /sarcasm tag
  - fsflover 4y ago
    But we do know people behind Microsoft are not to be trusted with our privacy... See PRISM and their data collection practices.
    - tester756 4y ago
      The thing is about what data MS wants and what bad actor in ungoogled chromium would want e.g MS doesn't want to steal money from my card
      - BiteCode_dev 4y ago
        Indeed, they will lock you in to get it legally.

seabriez 4y ago

Based on what source exactly? Microsoft is about equivalent to privacy protections as Apple, if not more so.

isoprophlex 4y ago
I beg to differ. Please compare the severity and extent of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft#Privacy_issues https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft#Privacy... with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple_Inc. Depending on how you weigh the issues MSFT is far from equivalent on privacy
- woojoo666 4y ago
  It seems that both had alleged collaborations with PRISM. The main difference I see between the two wiki articles, is that people complain about Microsoft's telemetry but not Apple's (even though they do have a lot of telemetry [1]). In general it feels like Apple has won the trust of the public, partially through good products, partially through good marketing. [1]: https://mspoweruser.com/macos-big-sur-has-its-own-telemetry-privacy-nightmare/ https://mspoweruser.com/macos-big-sur-has-its-own-telemetry-...
mtgx 4y ago
I can't tell if serious or ... Windows 10 is a privacy disaster compared to previous versions of Windows. They track every single app and website you open, what files you have on your PC, and much more.