According to a recent announcement from Google, Android users in Europe will get a new search interface next year. From the beginning of next year, this interface will be available each time a new mobile phone or tablet is set up. The search engine chosen by the user will become the default search service provider for the Android home screen. If a Chrome browser is available, it will apply for it also.
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However, search providers who want to enter the Android search provider selection interface with Google must pay Google. The company will select search providers through an auction process. The top three bids will appear in the selection interface. The auction will not be an open process. This means that all quotations are secret, and the person with the highest quotation will win. Google did not disclose how much the minimum bid threshold is. However, it said the number of bidders and their bids will be kept confidential. According to Google, “This is a fair and objective way of determining which search providers appear in the selection interface. It allows search providers to determine the value that appears in the selection interface and give quotes accordingly,”
Google believes that companies need to tie search to Android and Chrome browsers in order to get a return on Android’s major investments. The European Commission rejects this claim, arguing that Google alone earned billions of dollars from the Google Play store. In addition, it also collects data to provide advertising business value. After the initial setup, European Android users can change their default search engine at any time. The deadline for search providers to apply for eligibility and bids for Google is September 13, 2019. Google will announce the winners of each country by October 31, 2019.
