[Update 2: Search Providers Announced] Google to add search provider choices in Android to comply with EU ruling

Update 2 (1/9/20 @ 11:50 AM ET): The alternative search providers that will be shown at setup alongside Google have been announced.

Update 1 (10/1/19 @ 9:50 AM ET): Google is testing showing search provider choices in Android ahead of the 2020 rollout.

Android users in Europe can now look forward to easily selecting between a host of search providers, as Google has just announced an upcoming change to how Android would function in the European Union. From 2020 onwards, Android smartphone and tablet users in Europe will be able to select a search provider that will power the search box on their home screen, as well as be used as the default search provider within Google Chrome, if the browser is installed. This change is part of the steps that Google has taken to comply with the European Commission’s ruling on Android.

This change is limited to all new Android phones and tablets that will be shipped into the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2020, where the Google Search app will be pre-installed. In its blog post, Google reiterates that Android users are free to customize and personalize their devices in whichever manner they deem fit, including the apps they can download and how the apps are arranged on the homescreen.

Google has also opened up the application process for search providers to be listed on the above screen. Eligible search providers will need to fill out an application form and can bid for inclusion based on an auction. Auctions will be conducted on a per-country basis and will be valid for a duration of one year. In each country, search providers will have to state the price that they are willing to pay each time a user selects them from the choice screen in the given country, and the top three bidders that exceed the minimum bid price will appear in the choice screen for that country. The auction winners, and Google, will be ordered randomly in the choice screen. If the bid process fails to get three entities that exceed the minimum bid price, the remaining slots will be filled randomly from the pool of eligible search providers (including those who applied to participate but did not submit a bid). Further details on the application process and other related questions are present on the application page.

In July 2018, the European Union found Google guilty of violating antitrust regulations, and subsequently imposed a fine of $5 Billion. The EU held that Google “imposed illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to cement its dominant position in general internet search.” After the ruling, Google announced changes to how it did business in the EU, allowing Android partners to build forked smartphones for the European Economic Area, and introducing a new paid licensing agreement for smartphones shipped into the EEA, among other changes. Later on, Google also announced that it will present additional app options for Search and Browser on smartphones for users in Europe. This latest move from Google should further appease the conditions laid down in the European Commission’s July 2018 Android ruling.

Source: Google Keyword Blog, Android Choicescreen

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Update 1: In testing

Google appears to have begun testing search provider choices in Android. A new commit mentions a flag for “Search Engine Choice” in Chrome for Android, which enables showing search engine choice selection at the Android setup. It’s not currently possible to test this flag as it requires a Chrome data/factory reset, which then disables the flag. However, it does show that Google is preparing for the rollout in 2020.

Source: Chromium Gerrit

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Update 2: Search Providers Announced

As mentioned in previous updates, Google will be rolling out  “Choice Screen” for Android users in Europe in March. This will allow them to choose their search engine when setting up the phone. The search app will then be installed and automatically set as default in Google Chrome. This Choice Screen will include Google Search and three alternatives, but those alternatives will vary by region. The choices were decided by an auction process that took place last August. Here is the full list of three alternatives that will be available in different countries:

Country	Winners
Austria	DuckDuckGo, GMX, Info.com
Belgium	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Bulgaria	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Croatia	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Czech Republic	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Seznam
Denmark	DuckDuckGo, Givero, Info.com
Estonia	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex
Finland	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex
France	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Germany	DuckDuckGo, GMX, Info.com
Greece	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Hungary	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Iceland	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Ireland	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Italy	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Latvia	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex
Liechtenstein	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Lithuania	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex
Luxembourg	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Malta	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Netherlands	DuckDuckGo, GMX, Info.com
Norway	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Poland	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Yandex
Portugal	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Republic of Cyprus	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Romania	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Slovakia	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Seznam
Slovenia	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
Spain	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, Qwant
Sweden	DuckDuckGo, Info.com, PrivacyWall
United Kingdom	Bing, DuckDuckGo, Info.com

Every time a user selects one of the alternatives, Google will receive a fee. So at the end of all this, Google Search may not be used by as many people, but the company is still making money off of every user.

Source: Google

The post [Update 2: Search Providers Announced] Google to add search provider choices in Android to comply with EU ruling appeared first on xda-developers.

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