Google is changing the default third-party search engine guidelines on Android following complaints from competitors. After the European Commission imposed a record $ 5 billion fine on Google in 2018 for violating antitrust laws, the company added a search engine selection screen when users set up their devices for the first time. However, companies had to pay to get there. Now the search giant will make it free to add to the list of search engines that will appear on the home screen. The changes will take effect in September this year.
At the moment, the search engine selection screen offers only four options. One of them is Google, the other three are selected in a closed bid auction. Companies indicate the price they are willing to pay each time a user selects their system as their default search. Google then selects the three highest bidders and displays them randomly on the screen.
With the changes that will now apply to all devices that go on sale in the EEA and the UK, Google will display up to 12 search engines on the selection screen, and no developer has to pay to do so. The first five will be selected by popularity in each specific country, based on StatCounter data, and displayed in random order. The other seven are unranked.
Be that as it may, Google still has requirements for search engines for placement on Android devices. The changes were positively assessed in Europe, but other companies were cautious in their statements. For example, DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg stated that the rules should apply in all countries and on more devices, and the default search selection screen should not be limited to initial setup or factory reset.
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