Microsoft to Allow EEA Users to Disable Bing and Edge in Response to EU Digital Markets Act

The tech giant is making key changes to Windows 11, including allowing users to disable Bing web search and remove Microsoft Edge, to comply with the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act.

Microsoft will soon allow Windows 11 users in the European Economic Area (EEA) to disable Bing web search, remove Microsoft Edge, and add custom web search providers into its Windows Search interface.
These changes are in response to the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act, which requires tech companies to meet a range of interoperability and competition rules.
Microsoft will also allow users to uninstall certain apps, including Camera, Cortana, and Photos. However, the ability to fully remove Microsoft Edge and Bing-powered web search will only be available to users in the EEA.
Microsoft is limiting these extra functionalities to EEA markets to comply with the rules, despite the ability to extend these to all Windows 11 users.
Microsoft plans to test these new changes to Windows 11 in the Release Preview version of the OS, with plans to preview additional changes to Windows 10 in a Release Preview test “at a later date.” Both operating systems will be updated to be compliant with the EU’s Digital Markets Act by March 6th, 2024.