Google has revealed that it is testing updates to several of its most significant services, such as Search, the Chrome Browser, and its Android operating system, in advance of the strict new antitrust law from the European Union that will go into effect in March.
The bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a comprehensive piece of legislation, is what caused the modifications. Under it, Google is classified as a “gatekeeper” and given new guidelines for running crucial core platform services. On Android, it’s bringing back the browser selection screen that customers can choose from when setting up their smartphone, much like it does now.
Similar to what it now does to help users choose between several search engines, it is adding a new browser option screen for Android customers during the first device setup. A comparable option box for search engines is being added to Chrome, the company’s browser, which isn’t limited to Android. This will allow users to select an alternative to Google search if they so wish. On gadgets acquired within the European Economic Area after March 6th, both will be shown.
The DMA’s self-referencing regulations, which prohibit gatekeepers from treating their own services better on their platforms than those of third-party competitors, seem to be the focus of the adjustments made.
The DMA also includes guidelines for enabling users to uninstall preloaded software from devices and ensuring services are compatible, depending on the services gatekeepers run.
Google also aims to allow European customers to limit the amount of data exchange between the various services, such as YouTube, Chrome, and Google Play, in addition to the modifications already mentioned in the blog post. Google has announced that it is modifying the “Google Takeout” service in order to comply with the DMA’s data portability regulations, even though consumers may already download the data from the company.
Big tech companies have been impacted by the DMA in many cases, besides Google. In September of last year, the DMA named the corporation, along with Microsoft, ByteDance, Amazon, Apple, and Meta, as one of the six gatekeepers.
