Yes, this really is free money from Microsoft. What to know.

Microsoft has launched a new rewards program offering Chrome users “real cash value” points to switch to Edge browser[1]. When users search for “Chrome” on Bing, they receive a prompt offering 1,300 Microsoft Rewards points that can be exchanged for gift cards, including on Amazon[1:1].

The Browser Choice Alliance, representing Chrome, Opera and Vivaldi, criticizes this as Microsoft’s latest tactic to manipulate browser choice, following earlier practices like “forced resets, misleading prompts, and hidden settings”[1:2].

The market context shows why Microsoft is pursuing this strategy - Edge holds less than 9% market share compared to Chrome’s 78%[1:3]. The rewards program appears targeted specifically at Chrome users, with Windows Latest noting “we’re not seeing ads for other browsers, such as Opera, Firefox or Brave”[1:4].

  1. Forbes - Microsoft Offers Chrome Users ‘Real Cash’ Rewards To Change Browser ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  • schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de
    12·
    7 hours ago

    When I read things like this, I struggle to understand the economic logic behind it.

    How much money does Microsoft really expect to get from more people using Edge instead of Chrome? I mean, both of them are provided free of charge anyway. Does the control over the default search engine or the advertising technology or something like that really bring them more money than these “rewards” cost?

    • Zerush@lemmy.mlOP
      3·
      4 hours ago

      It’s about profiling the user, logging his activities and searches, certainly bring more money than these “rewards”.

    • Axolotl@feddit.it
      12·
      7 hours ago

      Because they can rob more data from you, make shareholders more happy and push in your throat more ads

    • JiveTurkey@lemmy.world
      6·
      6 hours ago

      It all seems even more ridiculous when you realize all of these browsers are just flavors of chrome and MS is pretending it doesn’t gather enough data from windows 11 telemetry.