Firefox increased its market share in Europe thanks to Digital Markets Act

[Alfonso Maruccia]

The big picture: Europe's digital economy has been governed by the Digital Markets Act since November 2022. This law requires major mobile ecosystems to implement a browser ballot, a change that Mozilla believes will enhance user choice and promote market competition.

The browser choice screens enforced by the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) are having a noticeable impact on Firefox's ability to compete in the internet browser sector. According to a recent Mozilla post, the new regulatory framework helped the open-source browser increase its daily active users in two of Europe's biggest countries.

The DMA covers several digital services, including browsers. Mozilla feels that the most empowering aspect of the DMA is the control it gives European users. Instead of being forced into a default engine, they can choose their desired browser. Mozilla Foundation researchers discovered that browser choice screens are powerful tools when well-designed and fully implemented.

People prefer choices in any market. Mozilla found this especially true for personal devices like smartphones or other mobile gadgets. After the first DMA-derived browser choice screens started rolling out in 2024 for the iOS ecosystem, Firefox's daily active users increased in Germany and France by 99 percent and 111 percent, respectively.

Mozilla noted that browser selection screens currently available on iOS and Android are a much-improved feature for mobile users. Starting in March 2024, new and existing Android users started getting prompts asking if they would like to stay with the factory default (Chrome) or switch to an alternative. More recently, new and existing iOS users with Safari as their default browser got similar choice dialogs after upgrading to iOS 18.2.

It's worth mentioning that Apple had implemented a browser default prompt with iOS 17.4. However, it was poorly designed. Of course, mobile and PC users outside the EU haven't received such features and likely won't anytime soon. Mozilla also said that Firefox was able to win new users thanks to some of its advanced features, which include enhanced privacy controls, performance gain, and new productivity tools.

Mozilla warned that Big Tech gatekeepers could hinder the DMA's ability to reach its full potential because some companies still lack proper compliance plans. However, despite its imperfect state, the new digital market regulations gave Firefox's European userbase a noticeable boost in just one year.

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Firefox increased its market share in Europe thanks to Digital Markets Act

 

[NumberNine]

I'd consider this being slightly overshadowed by the demand for unencrypted global iCloud access.

Anyone trying to destroy your right to privacy is not your friend, even if they occasionally do something nice for you.

 

[SalaSSin]

I'd consider this being slightly overshadowed by the demand for unencrypted global iCloud access.

Anyone trying to destroy your right to privacy is not your friend, even if they occasionally do something nice for you.

That would be in the UK, which is not part of the European Union...

 

[NumberNine]

That would be in the UK, which is not part of the European Union...

Good catch!
Give it time. They'll come back.

 

[psycros]

Good catch!
Give it time. They'll come back.

If a neo-communist like Starmer can't make it happen, no one can.

 

[dangh]

If a neo-communist like Starmer can't make it happen, no one can.

That's fine, we will be happy to see Scotland joining instead.

 

[AnilD]

Crazy how giving people an actual choice magically results in them picking something other than the default. Firefox getting a 100%+ boost in users just from a fair selection screen proves that most people aren’t choosing Chrome or Safari – they’re just accepting them.

 

[daffy duck]

Chromium option > 20
Non-chromium options 1 (2 if you include MacOS)

Death to Chromium, Google needs to be broken up and browser arm hived off.

 

[pnntmp]

I've never considered using anything other than Firefox, mainly for privacy reasons.

However, spinning this as some triumph for EU bureaucracy is preposterous.

"increased in Germany and France by 99 percent and 111 percent, respectively"

This means starting from a very low base, nothing else. A share of 1% can easily go to 2%, which is a 100% increase, and at the same time a nothingburger. There is no reason whatsoever to claim this increase has something to do with the Digital Markets Act.

People are not "being forced into a default engine", they can install any browser they want on any platform. The vast majority simply don't care and use what's preinstalled. Most of the new Firefox users likely picked it for the cool icon. Those who want it for what it is already have it.

 

[Burty117]

People are not "being forced into a default engine", they can install any browser they want on any platform.

That's simply not true, iOS devices are forced to use WebKit, regardless of what skin is put over it.

Microsoft practically bully their way into making Edge the default, plus you cannot remove it, and Google makes sure on every single site they own, you get a prompt to "download Chrome now", pretty certain the pop-up even just magically appears wherever your mouse cursor is on the screen.

You might actually find Firefox's market share is increasing because it's not limiting ad-blocking addons, while Google, Edge, anything else running chromium is going to be forced to stop ad-blocking addons.

Give it time. They'll come back.

Something like 78% of the country see's Brexit as a mistake, but the EU would be mad to let us back in for quite sometime, until our political class get their act together, and I honestly don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[pnntmp]

That's simply not true, iOS devices are forced to use WebKit, regardless of what skin is put over it.

Microsoft practically bully their way into making Edge the default, plus you cannot remove it, and Google makes sure on every single site they own, you get a prompt to "download Chrome now", pretty certain the pop-up even just magically appears wherever your mouse cursor is on the screen.

You might actually find Firefox's market share is increasing because it's not limiting ad-blocking addons, while Google, Edge, anything else running chromium is going to be forced to stop ad-blocking addons.

There is Firefox for iOS, do you seriously want to choose the underlying browser engine?
How about choosing how the OS handles reference counting, or even deeper buried technicalities?
You can have Firefox on iOS, you can install any browser on Windows, and use Google with any browser. So your choice isn't limited, despite the occasional prompts and other annoyances.

 

[Burty117]

There is Firefox for iOS

It's still being forced to use WebKit, it is therefore not Firefox.

do you seriously want to choose the underlying browser engine?

Yes! That's the entire point of competition, that's the entire reason I use Firefox vs the others, it's NOT using Chromium underneath.

How about choosing how the OS handles reference counting, or even deeper buried technicalities?

That's nothing to do with this, different OS's do things differently, the same should be said about a web browser, they shouldn't all do things the exact same way with a different skin over the top.

You can have Firefox on iOS,

I use Firefox on my iPhone, it's still not "Firefox" if it is forced to use Webkit, it's Safari with a skin on it.

you can install any browser on Windows, and use Google with any browser. So your choice isn't limited, despite the occasional prompts and other annoyances.

This is true, however, I would argue, being unable to uninstall Edge, forcing it as default every Windows Update and constantly putting shortcuts to it on an OS level is Microsoft abusing it's Market dominance, Having it pre-installed and default is fine, but being unable to uninstall it and making it default every update just isn't fine, they lost against the EU for this in the past, I hope the EU goes after them again and doubles or even quadruples the fine, they've been fined in the past, this behaviour wasn't acceptable then and it still isn't now.

Google is just mostly an annoyance I agree, it's less forceful than Microsoft, and Google had to earn their place by actually having a good browser.

Edit: Here's a question, why do you want all browsers to use the same engine? Chromium being pretty well controlled by Google, and Webkit being completely controlled by Apple? Why do you want massive American Corporations to control 100% of browser engines?

 

[ZedRM]

This needs to happen everywhere. User choice, not corporate force, needs to be the prevailing standard of practice.

Good catch!
Give it time. They'll come back.

No, they won't.

That's fine, we will be happy to see Scotland joining instead.

That will not be happening either. And don't hold your breath on Ireland..

It's still being forced to use WebKit, it is therefore not Firefox.

True statement.

 

[pnntmp]

It's still being forced to use WebKit, it is therefore not Firefox.

Yes! That's the entire point of competition, that's the entire reason I use Firefox vs the others, it's NOT using Chromium underneath.

That's nothing to do with this, different OS's do things differently, the same should be said about a web browser, they shouldn't all do things the exact same way with a different skin over the top.

I use Firefox on my iPhone, it's still not "Firefox" if it is forced to use Webkit, it's Safari with a skin on it.

This is true, however, I would argue, being unable to uninstall Edge, forcing it as default every Windows Update and constantly putting shortcuts to it on an OS level is Microsoft abusing it's Market dominance, Having it pre-installed and default is fine, but being unable to uninstall it and making it default every update just isn't fine, they lost against the EU for this in the past, I hope the EU goes after them again and doubles or even quadruples the fine, they've been fined in the past, this behaviour wasn't acceptable then and it still isn't now.

Google is just mostly an annoyance I agree, it's less forceful than Microsoft, and Google had to earn their place by actually having a good browser.

Edit: Here's a question, why do you want all browsers to use the same engine? Chromium being pretty well controlled by Google, and Webkit being completely controlled by Apple? Why do you want massive American Corporations to control 100% of browser engines?

I don't want all browsers to use the same engine, far from it.
I myself use only Firefox with its own engine on all my computers, but stick to Safari on iPhone because I don't use a browser that much there. But I don't think it's a good idea to force everyone to open their systems for everything to be installed, especially on mobile phones. It's better to have a browser with an engine the OS smoothly interacts with (from security standpoint in the first place), rather than compatibility with all sorts of engines (and the security problems that arise from that).

 

[Burty117]

I don't want all browsers to use the same engine, far from it.
I myself use only Firefox with its own engine on all my computers, but stick to Safari on iPhone because I don't use a browser that much there. But I don't think it's a good idea to force everyone to open their systems for everything to be installed, especially on mobile phones. It's better to have a browser with an engine the OS smoothly interacts with (from security standpoint in the first place), rather than compatibility with all sorts of engines (and the security problems that arise from that).

Why "especially for mobile phones" and not computers? Why do you stand with Apple locking down iOS to Webkit only, yet in the same sentence explain that you reap the benefit of Windows being open enough to install Firefox, specifically so you can use their Gecko Engine?

I'm not saying these platforms shouldn't have a default browser, But using "security" as an excuse to lockout competition is incredibly hollow, just look at the evidence around you, IE was the default browser for Windows for ages, it was a security nightmare, Google Chrome took over the browser market on Windows in a big way, You don't hear of that being anywhere near as much of a security nightmare as IE was.

Ask yourself, if it was for "security", why do you use Firefox instead of Edge on Windows? By your own logic, you should be using Edge right?

 

[pnntmp]

Why "especially for mobile phones" and not computers? Why do you stand with Apple locking down iOS to Webkit only, yet in the same sentence explain that you reap the benefit of Windows being open enough to install Firefox, specifically so you can use their Gecko Engine?

I'm not saying these platforms shouldn't have a default browser, But using "security" as an excuse to lockout competition is incredibly hollow, just look at the evidence around you, IE was the default browser for Windows for ages, it was a security nightmare, Google Chrome took over the browser market on Windows in a big way, You don't hear of that being anywhere near as much of a security nightmare as IE was.

Ask yourself, if it was for "security", why do you use Firefox instead of Edge on Windows? By your own logic, you should be using Edge right?

"especially for mobile phones" because people have bank, health, location history, digital keys and all sorts of sensitive data, and have their phones with them 24/7. if your phone is hacked you can be tracked, snooped on etc. non-stop. Such device should be as locked down as possible,
On my computers I have firewall rules and other security settings configured by me. I can see what connects to what and examine logs. Practically none of that is accessible on a phone.

Yes IE was a security nightmare, but Chrome is a privacy nightmare, probably Edge as well. Firefox is the only acceptable browser on Windows (from the popular ones) and it's reasonably safe to use if you can configure security settings. But if you can't, better stick to defaults.

 

[Burty117]

Practically none of that is accessible on a phone.

So you see the crux of the issue, but your advocating for these corporations to NOT open anything up.

You feel safer in Windows BECAUSE you have the control to set your own rules, run the software YOU want to run, yet you're against doing the same on a mobile phone, which you then argue is even more important than a computer.

 

[mikaelad]

I think nowadays Mozilla is allowed to use their own engine on iOS, it doesn't have to be webkit. This in EU countries. The problem being that they would have to maintain two different browsers.

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/25/third-party-default-browsers-eu-ios-17-4/

 

[Burty117]

I think nowadays Mozilla is allowed to use their own engine on iOS, it doesn't have to be webkit. This in EU countries. The problem being that they would have to maintain two different browsers.

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/01/25/third-party-default-browsers-eu-ios-17-4/

You're right, only in the EU, hence the article being about Firefox increasing it's market share in the EU since the new rules were enacted.

Hoping these rules come to the UK at some point, would be nice to try something new on my iPhone.

Edit: I should add here, EU has forced Apple to allow third party App Stores, competition again in the browser space, I haven't seen, nor can I find any articles about a massive security and virus outbreak on iOS in the EU

 

[pnntmp]

So you see the crux of the issue, but your advocating for these corporations to NOT open anything up.

You feel safer in Windows BECAUSE you have the control to set your own rules, run the software YOU want to run, yet you're against doing the same on a mobile phone, which you then argue is even more important than a computer.

I feel safer in Windows because I can set my rules, but that's not applicable to phones. Can you imagine configuring ports and monitoring connections on a phone? Computers and phones are different things.
Besides, I'm a somewhat advanced user. For the average user it's a lot better to stick to defaults.

I guess you'd agree that the as-closed-as-possible iPhones are far more secure than the fairly opened Android devices.

 

[Burty117]

I feel safer in Windows because I can set my rules, but that's not applicable to phones. Can you imagine configuring ports and monitoring connections on a phone? Computers and phones are different things.
Besides, I'm a somewhat advanced user. For the average user it's a lot better to stick to defaults.

I've said this the WHOLE time, I agree with defaults, I'm not saying give every **** and Harry all the options as part of the OOBE or anything. What I am saying though, I should be allowed to run the software I want on my phone, period, there's no arguements that locking it down the way Apple have, has completely killed competition whilst not helping with security in the slightest.

I guess you'd agree that the as-closed-as-possible iPhones are far more secure than the fairly opened Android devices.

Nope, I was iPhone from the first iPhone release until the iPhone 6, then I was Android (Various Sony, OnePlus and finally, Pixel phones) until the iPhone 15, I'm now back on iPhone.

The closed-as-possible Apple style is not any safer, in-fact, I'd argue it's less safe, for example, a flaw in Webkit is found that allows remote actors to run code on your phone, that affects ALL iPhones, all of them, every single one. If I was running Firefox though? Well the Gecko engine doesn't have that flaw, it doesn't work the same way, so it's a completely different.

Lets do it the other way round now, Firefox has a flaw that allows code to run remotely, now that only effects me, not all iPhone users. So everyone else is safe, I am not, I'm a technical user though, I know not to click on adverts or visit "this-is-a-virus.com", I take that risk, Not the entirety of the iPhone using populace.

 

[Puiu]

I don't want all browsers to use the same engine, far from it.
I myself use only Firefox with its own engine on all my computers, but stick to Safari on iPhone because I don't use a browser that much there. But I don't think it's a good idea to force everyone to open their systems for everything to be installed, especially on mobile phones. It's better to have a browser with an engine the OS smoothly interacts with (from security standpoint in the first place), rather than compatibility with all sorts of engines (and the security problems that arise from that).

"Security" is the excuse corporations use and is given to people who don't understand what security is.

Apple's closed system is making Safari fall behind in ALL aspects compared to the competition.

 

[pnntmp]

"Security" is the excuse corporations use and is given to people who don't understand what security is.

Apple's closed system is making Safari fall behind in ALL aspects compared to the competition.

Wow! You're apparently a true security expert. We are so lucky to have you!
Could you please list the top 5 of 'ALL aspects' ?

 

[Puiu]

Wow! You're apparently a true security expert. We are so lucky to have you!
Could you please list the top 5 of 'ALL aspects' ?

I am a better security expert than you.

Aspects:
1. Website compatibility (or general implementation of html/js/etc specs - it's a serious issue)
2. New technology compatibility/implementation
3. Bugs, stability and performance (until recently animating "position:fixed" objects used to cause major FPS drops - for years I had to make workarounds for it, and JS performance is a joke)
4. UI/UX issues
5. Customization
6. Update cadance
7. Development tools are a joke compared to any other browser

Imagine being in 2025 and Safari on iOS still not fixing a major rendering bugs for half a decade like with background-attachment:fixed not working at all and aspect-ratio not respecting the set value.

 

[ZedRM]

I am a better security expert than you.

Aspects:
1. Website compatibility (or general implementation of html/js/etc specs - it's a serious issue)
2. New technology compatibility/implementation
3. Bugs, stability and performance (until recently animating "position:fixed" objects used to cause major FPS drops - for years I had to make workarounds for it, and JS performance is a joke)
4. UI/UX issues
5. Customization
6. Update cadance
7. Development tools are a joke compared to any other browser

Imagine being in 2025 and Safari on iOS still not fixing a major rendering bugs for half a decade like with background-attachment:fixed not working at all and aspect-ratio not respecting the set value.

That was impressive...said no security expert. Only one of your suggestions has any application to real user security, and even then only barely. Good showing.