Google to allow rivals to appear as default search engine on Android
Google announced yesterday (08/06) that it is making changes to its default search engine selection screen on Android devices, and that it will allow search engines rivals to appear as an option for users in Europe at no extra cost. The new format will begin in September and will replace the auction system that has been in use since 2019, when Google gave in to pressure from European Union antitrust regulators. In addition to the change, the entire imbroglio has cost the company, so far, a fine of US$ 5 billion (R$ 25,3 billion in direct conversion, on 09/06, to give you an idea in our currency).
The auction system had been causing much dissatisfaction among Google's rival search engines, who saw this format as an unfair competition procedure. To be one of the three options offered on the current default search engine selection screen on Android, search engines had to rely on closed bids, in which they paid the owner of the operating system. As if that weren't enough, Google's own search engine was one of the basic options available to users.
Up to twelve search engine options on the selection screen
With the change that will come into effect in three months, the selection screen will present five search engines as the default search engine option, and seven other options will appear when you scroll down the screen. The first five options will be set based on their popularity in each country, according to StatCounter (including Google), and will be displayed at the top, in random order each time the selection screen is displayed. This way, Google will not always appear at the top of the list.
Up to seven remaining eligible general search engines will be displayed at the bottom, also in random order. In the event that there are more than seven general search engines remaining in a given country, the seven engines to be displayed on the search screen will be randomly selected each time it is displayed. When a user selects a search engine, Google will download the respective app from the Play Store.
Only general search services (which allow users to search for information across the entire internet, i.e., which do not index content on a particular topic) will be eligible to appear on the selection screen. Additionally, search providers owned or affiliated with the same company are eligible to appear on the selection screen only one at a time. Companies that distribute Google search results and ads will not be eligible.
Search engines must provide support for language local in the countries where they apply to participate and must have an app available for free on the Play Store, ensuring that Google has all the technical resources necessary for implementation. Interested search engines can submit applications annually in the month of June. More information can be accessed at official post made by Android. European Union regulators remain responsible for monitoring compliance with antitrust laws and will be closely monitoring the outcome of the changes and whether any further complaints arise from Google's rival search engines.
What rival search engines say
https://twitter.com/yegg/status/1402258047737774082?s=20
Gabriel Weinberg, founder and CEO of the search engine DuckDuckGo (which focuses on user privacy), pointed out that not only is the change three years too late, but Google should also apply it across all platforms (desktop and Chrome too), as well as making it perfectly easy for Android users to switch to the default, rather than limiting the selection screen to the initial setup or after a device factory reset.
Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia (a search engine with an environmentally responsible policy) said it was a real moment of celebration for the company. “We have been campaigning for fairness in the search engine market for several years, and with this we have something that resembles a level playing field in the market. Search providers now have the chance to compete more fairly in the Android market, based on the appeal of their products, rather than being priced out by monopolistic behavior.”
Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. Engadget e TechCrunch
Image: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay/CC
