EU: Google to allow rival search engines to compete on Android with a cost

According to a report from Reuters, Google will allow rivals to compete to be the default search engines on new Android devices in Europe, but they will have to pay for the privilege.

In its latest proposal to ward off fresh EU antitrust penalties, Google on Friday, August 2, announced plans to auction spots on a “choice screen” from which users will select their preferred search engine.

The move comes a year after the European Commission fined the US tech giant €4.34 billion (US$4.81 billion) for blocking rivals by pre-installing its Chrome browser and search app on Android smartphones and notebooks.

The EU competition enforcer also ordered the company to halt its anti-competitive practices or face fines up to 5% of Alphabet’s average daily worldwide turnover.

Google wrote in a blog post that users in Europe will, from early 2020, be able to pick a default search engine from four options, including Google, when they set up a new Android smartphone or tablet.