If you don't want to use Chrome, but desire a similar experience then Microsoft's Edge browser is almost exactly the same as it uses Chromium. Google knows this and seems to be taking any opportunity it can to warn people off using Microsoft's alternative.
As Windows Latest reports, anyone visiting the Chrome web store using Edge is being presented with a security warning below the address bar. It's text on a yellow background that reads, "Google recommends switching to Chrome to use extensions securely" and is followed by a clickable link to download the Chrome browser.
No explanation is given as to how using Chrome extensions in Edge is any less secure, but the warning is clearly going to sow seeds of doubt about Edge for some users. Further proof this warning is dubious comes from the fact anyone using the Opera or Brave browsers, which also use Chromium, don't see the same warning. Google is only targeting the Edge browser, at least for now.
Google is apparently relying on the "User Agent String" which identifies the browser a user is using to visit any given web page. By doing so, it can respond to each browser in different ways, which is how it can limit the warning message to only be displayed to users running Edge.
Regardless of what message Google chooses to show Edge browser users on the Chrome web store, the extensions will work in Edge. It would be nice to know what security risk Google is warning against, though.
Further Reading
- Chrome to Block Insecure Downloads
- Avast to End Browser Data Harvesting, Terminates Jumpshot
- US Senator Faults FTC for Dropping Ball on Antivirus Data Harvesting
- Bad Flaw in Windows 10 Also Affects Chrome Browser
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