Searching from the address bar, and changing the user's default search experience aren't the same thing.

If Microsoft was adding Bing as a search provider this wouldn't be nearly as controversial. Instead they're removing the user's preference and replacing it with their own, without consent, during a regular update of an unrelated product.

It is basically adware behaviour. Microsoft's self-rationalisation isn't relevant.

It's worth pointing out that the installer doing this is a business-only installer. So while, yes, it is removing the user's preference, it is also a corporate tool for enforcing corporate policies on corporate machines.

The issue here is that the install is not optional when it should be: admins should have the choice. But IMO it's debatable whether end users (of their corporate machines) should.

I'd call it malware behaviour, but I agree with your general point.

Google's browser is Chrome.

Microsoft's is Edge.

I can't speak for anyone else by my Org's recommended browser is Chrome and it comes preinstalled along with a bunch of shitty Extensions you can't remove because Chrome respects GPO.

It's vaguely reminiscent of browsers in the early 2000s, it just needs Gator.

I like Chrome enterprise policies, even for personal use. Sucks that your org has done a terrible job forcing crappy extensions.

Edge is now Chromium, right?