EU Antitrust Legislation Spurs Transformations in Google Search, Chrome, and Android

Google Initiates Testing of Major Service Adjustments in Anticipation of EU Antitrust Regulations

In preparation for the impending enforcement of the European Union’s stringent antitrust regulations in March, Google has revealed its ongoing testing of modifications across pivotal services such as Search, the Chrome browser, and the Android operating system. These adjustments are a response to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) within the EU, which designates Google as a “gatekeeper” and establishes new operational guidelines for its essential “core platform services.”

One notable change on Android involves the introduction of a new browser choice screen during initial device setup. This mirrors a similar feature allowing users to select from various search engines. This initiative traces back to a €4.3 billion fine imposed by the EU in 2018 related to Android antitrust violations. Furthermore, beyond the Android platform, the Chrome browser is set to incorporate a comparable choice screen for search engines, encouraging users to opt for alternatives to Google Search. These modifications will be visible on devices purchased in the European Economic Area after March 6th.

The alterations revealed today seem tailored to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) guidelines on self-preferencing, prohibiting gatekeepers from granting preferential treatment to their own services over third-party rivals on their platforms. The DMA encompasses regulations pertaining to the interoperability of services, especially messaging apps, and mandates the facilitation of customers in removing preinstalled software from devices, depending on the services offered by gatekeepers.

In addition to the aforementioned modifications, the blog post also outlines Google’s intention to enable European users to control the extent of data shared across its various services, including YouTube, Chrome, and Google Play. These adjustments were previously disclosed in a support page released last week. Furthermore, despite already offering users the ability to download their data, Google indicates changes to its “Google Takeout” service to align with the data portability regulations outlined in the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Google is not the sole major tech company affected by the DMA, as it is one of six designated gatekeepers alongside Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft since September. Several of these entities, including Apple, Meta, and TikTok, have contested their designations, seeking to mitigate the impact of the rules on platforms like the App Store and messaging services such as Messenger and iMessage.

While Google expresses its commitment to adhering to the regulations, the blog post conveys a degree of dissatisfaction with the regulatory framework. In the company’s blog post, Legal Director Oliver Bethell states, “While we support many of the DMA’s ambitions around consumer choice and interoperability, the new rules involve difficult trade-offs. We’re concerned that some of these rules will reduce the choices available to people and businesses in Europe.