Google Chrome snatched up nearly 70% of the browser user share as of May 2020. Mozilla Firefox and the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge trailed behind -- far, far behind -- at 8% and 7%, respectively.

Microsoft must be more determined than ever to dethrone Chrome in the battle for browser dominance. To lure more users to the new Edge browser, Microsoft is reportedly stealing Firefox data without user consent, according to Reddit posters (via Softpedia).

Edge's setup wizard, which features the words "Get Started," reportedly doesn't have an exit option for users who have no interest in continuing the setup process.

"Your parents and grand parents are probably using Edge now," krankie added. "They didn't mean to, they just couldn't seem to get it out of the way unless they agreed to 'Get Started.'"

Many Reddit posters said they used Task Manager to kill the setup wizard. One Redditor who used Task Manager to thwart the setup process claimed that they still found their Firefox browsing history in Edge despite shutting down the wizard prematurely.

"Open your task manager and close Edge from it instead of going through the setup. Then open Edge again. Tap Ctrl+H and see for yourself: your browsing history from Firefox will have been imported into Edge," XIII-Death posted on Reddit.

A few Redditors shrugged at Edge's alleged security faux pas. "Clear browsing history in Edge and voila, no more problem," one poster said. Another commenter advised Windows 10 users to ditch their OS: "If you are actually concerned about privacy, you might want to give Linux a try. Windows 10 is basically designed to tell Microsoft everything you are doing."

This isn't the first time Microsoft's been called out for its relentlessness. Some Edge users expressed annoyance at Microsoft's pop-up messages that appear while searching for Chrome or Firefox downloads in the browser.

Microsoft's also been put in the hot seat for its questionable security methods in the past. In March, we reported that Edge came in last place in a study that compared privacy measures among six browsers.

(Image credit: Slashgear, source Laptopmag)