Microsoft pulled Copilot from several core Windows apps recently: Photos, Notepad, Snipping Tool, and Widgets. The rollback came after users pushed back against AI integrations they never asked for.
Mozilla isn't letting Microsoft off easy. In a blog post, Linda Griffin argues this is just the latest move in a long pattern of Microsoft overriding user choice to serve its own interests. Microsoft has been aggressive, positioning Copilot across nearly 75 different products.
Independent research commissioned by Mozilla documents how Microsoft uses dark patterns to keep users locked in. The Windows Search bar only opens Edge, regardless of your default browser setting. Outlook and Teams ignore your browser preference entirely.
Firefox 148 takes a different approach: a single "Block AI Enhancements" switch that disables all AI features at once, with preferences that persist across updates. You should decide whether AI runs on your machine. Microsoft gives you a Copilot key you didn't ask for and can't easily remap. Firefox gives you a single switch to turn it all off.