Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
long story short
- Google is changing search, Android and other services under Europe’s newly implemented Digital Markets Act.
- The DMA takes effect on March 6, so Google users in Europe have more choices than in other parts of the world.
Google has detailed its plans to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect on March 6. The policy targets and holds accountable large tech companies and their services (which Google calls “gatekeepers”). Everything you’ve heard about Apple allowing sideloading of apps on iPhones and iPads, interoperability of messaging services like Signal and WhatsApp, upfront choice for Android users and more — all fall under the purview of the Digital Markets Act .
Google published a lengthy blog post detailing how it will change Android, search, and other user services to comply with the DMA, which takes effect this week. Here are the key points.
New selection screen
When EU users set up a new Android phone, Google will now display a new selection screen for setting their default browser and search engine. The image above shows what these selection screens look like. During the setup process, users will need to select a search provider from the selection screen. The selected search provider will be set in the home screen search box and established as the default search provider in Chrome (if installed). The selected provider’s search application will also be installed on the phone.
Likewise, users can select a default browser, which will install the application for the selected browser and set it as the browser used when opening links to the application.
Changes in search results
For EU users, search results will appear very differently. Google is removing features like Google Flights from Search and replacing them with an updated experience. Users in European countries may also notice more visual and entity-focused results when searching for queries like “hotels near me.”
Should the United States also implement a policy similar to the DMA?
7 votes
“Google says that many of its searches will be removed. Let’s say you’re looking for a hotel. Since Google can no longer set preferences and perform Google Hotels, Google Travel, or Google Shopping, that information should be sent directly to Bookings or other large hotel operators , and unfortunately will not be sent directly to small hotels trying to obtain information. Bill Echikson, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), said at a press conference on March 6:
More users agree
Google said European users can now access the settings in their Google account and choose whether they want to continue sharing data between Google services through links. Essentially, EU residents can opt out of data sharing across YouTube, Search, ad serving, Google Play, Chrome, Google Shopping, and Google Maps.
Users may also see a new consent banner asking if they want to link their Google services. Additionally, Google is making a number of upgrades to how it displays ads to users in the EU, so users may have more pop-ups to consent to the data collected by advertisers.
What are your thoughts on the DMA and the changes it’s forcing tech companies to make? Do you think Google should offer a similar option in the US? Or are you happy with the way the system currently works? Take our poll above and leave us a message in the comments section.