After an antitrust ruling put on place by the European Union, Google is detailing its intentions to provide users with a search alternative for Android owners. Starting with the following year, a new search engine alternative will be available on all Android devices sent and used in Europe. This decision, will, ultimately, allow users to select the default search engine, and browser they want to use, for their device. Google has, however, found, in no time, a method of turning this situation into a money-making opportunity.
Following a thorough investigation, the EU Commission fined Google €4.34 billion ($5 billion) last year, for antitrust violations concerning the Android operating system. The assembly discovered that by obliging mobile network to install Chrome and to use Google as the default search engine on Android devices, the American giant created an oligopoly for itself.
Android Will Allow Users To Choose Google Search Alternatives As Of 2020
Because of the impacts of this case, besides the fine, Google agreed to allow Android users in Europe to choose which browser and search engine they want to utilize. The company claimed that this was to support the possibility of choice and competition in Europe. This case is extremely similar to another antitrust situation that began in 1998 regarding Microsoft’s choice to integrate Internet Explorer into its operating system.
The search options that will be available will depend on the region. Besides Google search, there will be three more options accessible in each country. These alternatives will be selected utilizing a request process, in which search companies let Google know how much they are eager to pay when a user chooses them. The three highest bidders in each country will be accessible as alternatives to Google on the chosen display. This is, evidently, not a ‘free choice’ provided to users, but a way for Google to exploit and extract money from smaller search providers.
Dorothy has been a journalist for ten years and has been working with the Tech News Watch staff since the beginning of the news site. Her main contribution to Tech News Watch are mobile, IT and science news, with a focus on software updates and great outer space discoveries.