After five years, Microsoft has retired its EU-mandated "browser ballot," which offered Web users a choice in browsers when using Windows.
The feature dates back to 2009 when the European Commission announced an antitrust settlement with Microsoft, which was accused of violating competition law by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows.
Microsoft agreed to ship a version of Windows 7 with a "browser ballot" that allowed users to select which browser they wanted during the OS installation process. The EU approved the plan in December 2009, and Microsoft began rolling it out in early 2010.
But Redmond was only required to display that browser ballot for five years. So, visitors to the browserchoice.eu site now find nothing more than a sky-blue screen and a short message:
"This website was created by Microsoft in accordance with a decision issued by the European Commission in December 2009. The obligations imposed by the decision have now expired and Microsoft will no longer maintain this website. Microsoft encourages customers who want more information about Web browsers or want to download another browser to do so by visiting the websites of Web browser vendors directly."
Microsoft did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
In its early stages, the Windows Browser Ballot earned praise from fellow tech giants, including Google and Mozilla, both of which were pleased with the EU-Microsoft decision.
But there was at least one hiccup. In 2012, Redmond admitted that it failed to add the browser options to Windows 7 service pack 1 (SP1)—a move that resulted in a $732 million fine from the EU.
For more, see Which Browser is Best? Chrome vs. Firefox vs. Internet Explorer.