Why people switch from Edge
The most common reasons.
Recall and AI features
Recall, Microsoft's AI feature that builds a searchable timeline of what you've seen on your PC, has been controversial since its 2024 announcement and gone through several rollback and opt-in revisions. Copilot in the sidebar, Bing chat in the address bar, and AI summaries are visible in recent Edge releases.
Bing-flavored everything
The address bar surfaces Bing suggestions. The sidebar surfaces Bing results. The new tab page surfaces Bing results. Bing is the default search engine on a fresh install. Removing all of it cleanly often requires group policy or registry edits.
"Sign in with your Microsoft account"
Edge regularly prompts you to sign in. Once signed in, your bookmarks, history, and passwords flow into your Microsoft account, which is connected to your Office 365, your Xbox, your LinkedIn, and your work tenant. The browser becomes a profile-stitching surface.
Persistent telemetry
Edge sends "diagnostic data" to Microsoft on a tier scale (Required / Optional). Even on Required, network captures show frequent traffic to Microsoft endpoints. On Windows it's tied into Windows telemetry, which is even harder to fully disable.
US jurisdiction
Microsoft is under US laws like the CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702 that can require user data, sometimes through orders the company may not be allowed to disclose. For European businesses, the Schrems II ruling means transferring browsing-related personal data to a US company is on shaky legal ground. Dazr's data flows are EU-only by construction.
Sponsored content on the New Tab
Promoted news stories, sponsored quick links, "interest" cards, weather modules with embedded ads, Edge's New Tab is a content-marketing surface as much as a browser homepage. Dazr's New Tab is a search box and a clock.
Dazr vs Edge at a glance
Side by side.
| Feature | Microsoft Edge | Dazr |
|---|---|---|
| Telemetry to vendor | Yes | None |
| Recall / screen timeline | Available, OS-level integration | Not present |
| AI assistant in sidebar | Copilot, default | No AI shipped |
| Country / jurisdiction | US (Microsoft) | EU |
| Sponsored content on New Tab | Yes (default) | None |
| Account sign-in prompts | Recurring | No account exists |
| Built-in ad blocker | No | Yes, by default |
| Anti-fingerprinting | No | Canvas, WebGL, audio |
| Strips tracking parameters | No | Aggressive default |
| Encrypted DNS | Manual | dns0.eu (EU non-profit) |
| Stops video-call protocols leaking your real IP | Manual | On by default |
| Vertical tabs | Yes | Yes |
| Browser engine | Chromium | Chromium |
| Free | Yes | Yes |
What changes when you switch
No AI you didn't ask for
No Copilot in the sidebar. No "summarize this page" button. No Bing chat in the address bar. No "ask AI" right-click. No Recall. Dazr is a browser. If you want to use an AI website, you can, that's the open web. The browser itself sends nothing to AI providers.
- Zero AI requests originating from Dazr
- No always-on screen capture or timeline
- No "AI personalization" of the New Tab
EU-only data flows
For European businesses worried about US data laws, the appeal is straightforward: Dazr's services run on European servers under European law. No Microsoft services are in the data path: nothing flows to Redmond, no AI prompts go to Microsoft's servers, no search lookups go to Bing. The only servers Dazr talks to on its own are dazr.eu (for updates) and our European DNS provider.
- EU-only update server (dazr.eu)
- EU non-profit DNS (dns0.eu)
- No US cloud anywhere in the stack
- compliant with European privacy law from day one
A clean New Tab and address bar
The address bar shows your history and bookmarks. Type a search, press Enter, get results. No "trending searches", no Bing-flavored suggestions, no sponsored quick links, no AI chat suggestions. The New Tab is a search box and a clock. That's it.
- No promoted content on New Tab
- No sponsored search suggestions
- No "trending" or "for you" panels
- No AI chat surface attached to typing