14 DAY TRIAL // Third-party market researchers across the world claim that Internet Explorer is the number one browser worldwide but, in some cases, this pretty much depends on the company that’s provided the market share statistics.
There is a country, however, where Internet Explorer is clearly the leading choice, not because Microsoft’s browser is such an advanced app, but because local legislation gives users no other option.
Washington Post is reporting that South Koreans are stuck with Internet Explorer because of a law that requires online shopping services to restrict access of all the other browsers, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, and allow only users running Microsoft’s app.
“Purchases can only be made through Internet Explorer,” a message displayed on an online shopping website is telling users, according to the same source.
The explanation is as simple as it could be. The online payment system implemented by the South Korean government is based on an ActiveX control that obviously requires Internet Explorer to work properly. Until any updates are made to this system, no other browsers will be allowed.
Market share figures for South Korea pretty much speak for themselves. 36.11 percent of the users are now running Internet Explorer 8, while 22.68 percent of them moved to Internet Explorer 10. Another 17.13 percent are actually sticking to Internet Explorer 9, which takes the overall share of Microsoft’s browser to 75.92 percent.
Microsoft, on the other hand, continues to invest a fortune in new and more secure versions of Internet Explorer that can compete with the latest browsers on the market, including Firefox and Chrome.
Windows 8, for example, is being offered out of the box with Internet Explorer 10, while users making the move to Windows 8.1 get Internet Explorer 11 installed by default.
Still, in South Korea’s case, the main concern is security and whether sticking to an old system that forces consumers to keep using ancient browsers can expose financial details or not.