The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed new measures to force Google to make it easier for users of Google’s Android and Chrome to use an alternative search engine or AI platform. This is “designed to give millions of Google Android and Google Chrome customers in the UK greater choice and more control over the search services they use,” the CMA wrote.
If approved, the proposal will require Google to:
- Give Android and Chrome customers a choice of search services when they use their Android phone or open Chrome for the first time, followed by a prompt every year to choose the default provider they want to use.
It would also require Google to:
- Allow AI assistants to be included where they meet the relevant criteria, including technical and security requirements
- Make sure any search providers that feature on choice screens fairly attribute publisher content when used – meaning people can easily access source content and know where their search results have come from.
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said “The way people search for information online is changing, with new services creating fresh opportunities for innovation and competition. We’ve listened carefully to feedback and are responding quickly to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their search service, but aren’t included on Google’s choice screens. This is about future-proofing the options available to people in the UK so they can choose the search service they want as these come to market.”
The CMA will make a final decision on this proposal by October 9th.
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