Microsoft recently announced its overall plan to "repair" Windows 11 in 2026. The focus includes restoring some previously deleted features, giving users more control over Windows updates, and taking a more restrained attitude when integrating Copilot-driven AI features into various software.
In the latest Windows Insider preview version of Notepad, the words “AI” and “Copilot” in the menu were quietly removed, which is regarded as a concrete manifestation of this adjustment direction. As Microsoft continues to roll back some Copilot-related changes, Mozilla believes now is the right time to "liquidate" Microsoft's previous push for Copilot in Windows.
According to Windows Central, Mozilla pointed out in a blog post that over the past few months and even years, Microsoft has been limiting user choices in various ways when integrating Copilot and AI features into the Windows experience. These include forcing the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to users (currently paused), adding a dedicated Copilot key on Copilot+ PCs, and plans to embed the AI assistant into key interfaces such as system notifications.
Thanks to the strong opposition from users, Microsoft is currently withdrawing many related strategies, but Mozilla said this only proves that Microsoft has made many choices to "prioritize its own business interests rather than users" before. Citing the results of an independent study it commissioned, Mozilla said Microsoft is using "dark mode" and covert distribution methods to reduce or eliminate users' real choice in multiple details. Examples of naming in the text include:
The search bar in the Windows 10 and Windows 11 taskbar is hard-coded to only call Microsoft Edge to open web content, regardless of the user's default browser setting.
Windows does not implement a real device migration system like Android, iOS and macOS. When you purchase a new computer, applications, settings and data will not naturally be carried over to the new device, and the system defaults will be reset back to Microsoft's own products.
By default, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams ignore the default browser selection at the system level and directly use Edge to open links in emails or messages.
Windows does not provide third-party browsers with a one-click "Set as default browser" pop-up window. Other browsers can only guide users to jump to system settings and complete a multi-step manual process.
Mozilla points out that Copilot continues the same "playbook" by embedding deeply into the user's software experience and "getting to know you" and collecting data about you as quickly as possible without the user being fully aware.
While criticizing Microsoft, the browser maker also mentioned its AI capabilities and integration methods in Firefox, declaring that its design principle is that "AI should operate according to the user's rules, not Mozilla's rules." Mozilla emphasized that Firefox allows users to turn off each AI feature individually, or disable all generative AI features at once through an easily accessible one-click "master switch" in settings. In addition, users' privacy and AI preferences in Firefox will continue to be retained after version updates and will not be reset back to the default configuration. This comparison is also seen as an insinuation of Microsoft's Windows update strategy.
Mozilla further launched an offensive against Microsoft in a blog post, pointing out that when a company with Microsoft's influence continues to promote products in a "user-controlling" manner and only chooses to make partial concessions when the public opinion noise is high enough, it will actually reshape public expectations for technology products. In this model, people are forced to believe that their only effective option is to keep complaining until the company "maybe" gives in; at the same time, when the platform uses its coverage and control to continuously redirect users back to its own products, it also makes it difficult for alternatives to compete fairly in the market.
Mozilla said it does not consider this state of affairs to be "the norm on the Internet" that people must accept. In his view, the core demands of users in the current Internet era have been very clear: they want to truly control their devices and data, rather than being reversely manipulated by the platform. Mozilla says it's trying to build just such an Internet.
In terms of timing, Mozilla’s blog release is quite subtle: on the one hand, Microsoft is trying to gain more users’ favor by reversing some of the controversial Copilot changes; on the other hand, Mozilla obviously hopes to proactively shape public opinion while the topic is still in the spotlight and influence people’s views on Microsoft’s AI strategy and its ecological integration path. As for whether this statement can shake public perception and even the market structure on a wider scale, it is still difficult to draw a conclusion.