Ahead of the EU's Digital Markets Act's March deadline, Google is testing some changes to its important services, including Android, Search, and Chrome. The changes that the European people and businesses will see in effect in the coming weeks are a result of the EU antitrust laws, where Google has been designated as the ‘gatekeeper'.
So, before the antitrust laws come into effect, Google has given all the information about the changes that it is testing. On the Android operating system, Google is adding a new browser choice screen that will be shown during the initial device setup page. This will let users choose between different search engines. This new browser choice screen will also be available on the Chrome desktop app and iOS devices. The changes will appear on devices purchased in Europe after March 6.
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European users will also be able to restrict the amount of data shared between different Google services
Google is also testing changes in how it shows search results related to shopping in Europe. Now, the search results will include links to price comparison sites instead of specific individual businesses or products. Previously, Google was accused of using its search dominance to ‘illegally dominate' its comparison shopping service. Moreover, Google is also removing the Flights widget.
All these changes announced are designed to address the EU's Digital Markets Law, where ‘gatekeepers' are forbidden from promoting their services on their platforms compared to third-party rivals. The law allows customers to remove pre-installed software and gives them freedom regarding what service they would like to use, i.e., first-party or third-party.
Furthermore, Google has also highlighted in its official blog its plan to let European users restrict the amount of data shared between its services, including YouTube, Chrome, and Google Play. Google already allows users to download their data, and it's changing the Google Takeout service to comply with DMA rules.
