$\"Microsoft$ <\/p>\n

Image: Microsoft<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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This week, news broke that Microsoft Edge is seemingly leaking all the URLs we visit to Bing\u2014that is, directly to Microsoft itself. Discovered by and reported by , the bug appears to be tied to a new feature in Edge that allows users to follow their favorite creators. But instead of notifying Bing of select web addresses, like YouTube and Reddit, it\u2019s beaming everything back home to the mothership. This isn\u2019t the first problem tied to Edge\u2019s torrid pace of new feature releases, either.<\/p>\n

Microsoft is aware of the issue, telling The Verge in a statement that it\u2019s investigating the reports and \u201cwill take appropriate action to address any issues.\u201d (Don\u2019t worry, The Verge subtly reassured everyone that visits to adult websites remain a secret, thanks to a master filter blocking certain URLs from being sent. Apparently Microsoft doesn\u2019t want to know that info, either.) In the meanwhile, however, you can nip this problem in the bud by turning off the feature:<\/p>\n

Type edge:\/\/settings\/privacy<\/strong> into your address bar, or click on the three-dot menu and choose Settings > Privacy, search, and services<\/em>.<\/li>\n
Scroll down to the Services <\/em>section.<\/li>\n
Flip the toggle for Show suggestions to follow creators in Microsoft Edge<\/em> to off. This will turn off the feature for follow suggestions and notifications for new content.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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If you haven\u2019t dug deep into Edge, you may be surprised what settings are on by default.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
While you\u2019re in that part of settings, you may notice (as I did) another feature with privacy concerns\u2014the Shopping tool. Set on by default, it collects browsing history and page content for use in further product development. This part of the settings is a bit of a microcosm for the overall Edge experience\u2014features with good intentions but possible issues, and not always easily found or clearly explained. This approach is a pity, too, since some of Edge\u2019s many features over time have been groundbreaking and\/or innovative.<\/p>\n
Take 4K support in Netflix<\/a> back in 2017. At that time, other browsers were stuck at 720p, but not Edge. Heck, most people didn\u2019t even have a 4K monitor yet either, due to availability and cost\u2014it was extremely forward-thinking on Microsoft\u2019s part. (That\u2019s not the case today, as you can see by glancing at our roundup of the best monitors<\/a>.) Edge also offers tight integration with Xbox Game Pass<\/a>, allowing you to jump straight into cloud-gaming titles when signed into your account. And more recently, Microsoft\u2019s AI chatbot, Bing Chat<\/a>, was made available through Edge (including mobile platforms), as was the integration of an AI-art generator<\/a>.<\/p>\n
On the flipside, Edge has gone in questionable directions as well. This issue with URL leakage isn\u2019t the only stain on its record. Back in 2021, Microsoft experimented with a tool that recommended a loan service while shopping<\/a>. (Ick.) More recently, rumors of a \u2014a controversial feature, given the uncertainty about crypto in some circles. (GPU pricing during the pandemic, ahem.)<\/p>\n
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$\"Microsoft$
This inclusion was a decision on Microsoft\u2019s part.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
And let\u2019s not forget the dubious sources of \u201cnews\u201d that Edge uses to populate its feed when you open a new tab. I myself have complained about this on full of sensationalist headlines. (That one about the baby still really upsets me.)<\/p>\n
Obviously, the Edge teams are working hard to distinguish their browser from Chrome and other Chromium-based offerings. And some features are genuinely helpful. (I still dig vertical tabs<\/a>.) But these days, what I look for (as many others do, I think) is simplicity and trustworthiness in software. I want a clean, easy-to-understand interface paired with strong protections for my privacy and security. Edge remains a secondary browser for me because it\u2019s a little disorganized in how it presents features, much less one\u2019s ability to stay on top of managing them all. It also often forces new ones on you as default.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hopefully, this sighting on Twitter of an ability to which of Edge\u2019s features get installed will become a thing. Let me choose a streamlined, bare-bones version of Edge, please. Leave the other features in a running list within the settings. I\u2019ll get to them at my leisure.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tAuthor: Alaina Yee<\/a>, Senior Editor\t\t<\/h3>\n
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Alaina Yee is PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter\u2014when she’s not covering PC building, computer components, mini-PCs, and more, she’s scouring for the best tech deals. Previously her work has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can find her on Twitter at @morphingball<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Read More<\/a>
\n Lyndia Menjivar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Image: Microsoft This week, news broke that Microsoft Edge is seemingly leaking all the URLs we visit to Bing\u2014that is, directly to Microsoft itself. Discovered by and reported by , the bug appears to be tied to a new feature in Edge that allows users to follow their favorite creators. But instead of notifying Bing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":642591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24969,534,78],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-642590","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-edges","8":"category-financial","9":"category-microsoft"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

\n\t\t\n\t\tAuthor: Alaina Yee<\/a>, Senior Editor\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n