Aloha Browser grows 2.5x in the EU since Digital Markets Act

Aloha Browser, a freely available private and security-first web browser based in Nicosia, announced that it has seen 250% growth in new users in the first month since the EU's 7 March Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into effect.

This jump in users largely came from EU member countries like France, Belgium (3x growth), Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden (2.5x growth), and Denmark, Italy and Poland (2x growth), though download and usage rates for the US have also seen a notable increase since the new European regulations were adopted, Aloha Browser said in a press release.

"We were not surprised to see this increase," explained Aloha Browser co-founder and CEO Andrew Frost Moroz. "By enacting these regulations, the EU has done two things: They've cut down on some of big tech's monopolistic practices, and they've made consumers more aware of their choices in the tools they can use online. And many of those consumers are clearly saying they want to take back control of their digital privacy and personal data."

Aloha Browser stands for the freedom of users to be online privately. It provides Android, iOS and Windows users with a completely free, encrypted browser with a no-log VPN, ad blockers and enhanced privacy features like biometric-locked tabs. "With Aloha Browser, privacy is not just a feature; it's a fundamental principle," added Frost Moroz. "Our Browser do not and have never collected, stored or monetized any user data of any kind, making Aloha the only major browser that does not receive any money for user data. Our company instead generates its revenue through premium subscribers to our advanced VPN and privacy-oriented AI features."

"We go the extra mile to ensure the privacy of our users. We verify the safety of our open-source rendering engine daily, and create and design all other Aloha Browser elements and features in-house. Our AI chatbot also has privacy in its core: it cannot link a user to their request, which means it never will be able to create a digital twin of a user."

The EU's Digital Markets Act was created to better level the digital playing field, requiring the largest companies in technology to relax restrictions on their products, platforms and payments to include more third parties and thus reduce their stranglehold on consumer choice. These "gatekeepers," as they are named by the EU, are now required to open up their digital storefronts to other in-app payment services, stop linking user data across platforms and also provide more choices for baseline programs like web browsers.

"It's been a long time coming, and we applaud the EU for creating more fair play rules in the market," added Frost Moroz. "Today, digital markets are actually responsible for more value exchange than traditional ones, and so it's important to take steps to make them more balanced. We hope the EU's focus on increasing privacy and control of personal data continues, and that other regions like the U.S. also follow suit."

Making changes to core aspects of the mobile experience like the browser choice screen is part of that effort to create more balance in the market. For example, in the U.S., users who are never shown a browser choice screen are 80% less likely to change their default browser on their own later. However, in Europe providing that choice has had an immediate effect: in fact, according to Aloha's usage statistics, only 5% of iPhone users who selected Aloha during the browser choice screen switched back to another browser after using Aloha as their default browser.

As the DMA regulations continue to become a part of the European technology landscape, Aloha expects to see user numbers for private web browsers continue to increase.

"Digital privacy has become a basic human right. We trust that consumers can make the best choices for themselves regarding privacy and personal data if they just have access to the right tools," stated Frost Moroz. "Over the past month, they've had that access, and we can already see the results."

Graphic showing user growth in a selection of European countries (broken down by country)