4 ms·

I think this is being wrongly frame. This functionality is actually needed in highly regulated industries like banking or government. Which is, you need a way

I think this is being wrongly frame. This functionality is actually needed in highly regulated industries like banking or government. Which is, you need a way to secure how your employees are accessing information. And when everything is moving to becoming a cloud document (or document hosted on the cloud), not being able to have control over the browser in which that information is viewed with is a huge threat vector. So I totally understand why they have to ability to launch all links with Edge, and then Edge have built in privacy controls. So if you're an organization that need these higher level security controls, this is actually what you want. What the article doesn't make clear is, is Microsoft actually defaulting to this to all customers.

NicuCalcea 4y ago
Then banks should just prevent employees from installing browsers they didn't approve. There is no doubt in my mind that MS did this purely to push Edge.
detaro 4y ago
If you are such an organization and want to force people to use Edge, you don't install other browsers and make Edge the default, instead of doctoring with every app that can contain links for it to use Edge.
snoopen 4y ago
No, it's absolutely the right framing. This isn't a setting that allows admins to force a browser for security. This is obviously about MS trying to force the uptake of Edge and nothing more.
- alberth 4y ago
  Let's compare this to Google Workspace. Google Workspace functionality is only fully supports Google Chrome. Google Workspace doesn't support a number of key features on Firefox, Safari & Edge - as denoted below. https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en So how is what Microsoft is doing, different? They are only fully supporting Microsoft Edge (much like how Google only supports their own browser)
  - inetknght 4y ago
    > Let's compare this to Google Workspace. Well, Google Workspace is a dumpster fire. Anything that I can't run offline is a dumpster fire. That's a hill I'm willing to die on. > Google Workspace functionality is only fully supports Google Chrome. That's by Google's "choice". It's definitely not a technical decision. > Google Workspace doesn't support a number of key features on Firefox, Safari & Edge - as denoted below. https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en I can tell you from personal experience that the only reason Google Workspace doesn't "work" on Firefox is because of user-agent sniffing and similar countermeasures deployed by Google. There's absolutely no technical reason that the disabled features cannot work on Firefox. > So how is what Microsoft is doing, different? It's in fact not. > They are only fully supporting Microsoft Edge (much like how Google only supports their own browser) No, they are only fully permitting Microsoft Edge (much like how Google only fully permits their own browser).
AnimalMuppet 4y ago
> So if you're an organization that need these higher level security controls, this is actually what you want. I don't think that explanation makes sense. Let's say I'm an organization that needs these higher level security controls, but I want to push everything to be opened in Chrome instead. (Because I think that Chrome is more secure, or whatever.) Well, is this going to help me, or is it going to fight me? Can I make this work with anything, or is it Edge only? I'm betting it's Edge only. And that makes the whole argument suspect.

NicuCalcea 4y ago

Then banks should just prevent employees from installing browsers they didn't approve. There is no doubt in my mind that MS did this purely to push Edge.

detaro 4y ago

If you are such an organization and want to force people to use Edge, you don't install other browsers and make Edge the default, instead of doctoring with every app that can contain links for it to use Edge.

snoopen 4y ago

No, it's absolutely the right framing. This isn't a setting that allows admins to force a browser for security. This is obviously about MS trying to force the uptake of Edge and nothing more.

alberth 4y ago
Let's compare this to Google Workspace. Google Workspace functionality is only fully supports Google Chrome. Google Workspace doesn't support a number of key features on Firefox, Safari & Edge - as denoted below. https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en So how is what Microsoft is doing, different? They are only fully supporting Microsoft Edge (much like how Google only supports their own browser)
- inetknght 4y ago
  > Let's compare this to Google Workspace. Well, Google Workspace is a dumpster fire. Anything that I can't run offline is a dumpster fire. That's a hill I'm willing to die on. > Google Workspace functionality is only fully supports Google Chrome. That's by Google's "choice". It's definitely not a technical decision. > Google Workspace doesn't support a number of key features on Firefox, Safari & Edge - as denoted below. https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en https://support.google.com/a/answer/33864?hl=en I can tell you from personal experience that the only reason Google Workspace doesn't "work" on Firefox is because of user-agent sniffing and similar countermeasures deployed by Google. There's absolutely no technical reason that the disabled features cannot work on Firefox. > So how is what Microsoft is doing, different? It's in fact not. > They are only fully supporting Microsoft Edge (much like how Google only supports their own browser) No, they are only fully permitting Microsoft Edge (much like how Google only fully permits their own browser).

AnimalMuppet 4y ago

> So if you're an organization that need these higher level security controls, this is actually what you want. I don't think that explanation makes sense. Let's say I'm an organization that needs these higher level security controls, but I want to push everything to be opened in Chrome instead. (Because I think that Chrome is more secure, or whatever.) Well, is this going to help me, or is it going to fight me? Can I make this work with anything, or is it Edge only? I'm betting it's Edge only. And that makes the whole argument suspect.