Google's Android mobile operating system runs on about four-fifths of the world's smartphones
Reuters
June 09, 2021
PHOTO: REUTERS
Google has bowed to pressure from rivals and will let them compete for free to be the default search engine on Android devices in Europe, widening a pledge to EU antitrust regulators two years ago.
The move by the world's most popular internet search engine comes as the 27-country bloc considers rules that could be introduced next year to force Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook to ensure a level playing field for competitors.
Google's Android mobile operating system runs on about four-fifths of the world's smartphones. The US tech giant said in 2019 that rivals would have to pay via an auction for appearing on a choice screen on new Android devices in Europe from which users select their preferred search engine.