{"id":98642,"date":"2020-10-27T18:00:41","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/"},"modified":"2020-10-27T18:00:41","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T15:00:41","slug":"google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/","title":{"rendered":"#Google still abuses its search monopoly in the EU \u2014 regulators wake up!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3292d648f6d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3292d648f6d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/#Next_to_no_Android_phones_have_the_choice-screen_built_in_because_of_COVID\" >Next to no Android phones have the choice-screen built in, because of COVID\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/#No_resolution_to_the_2018_EU_ruling\" >No resolution to the 2018 EU ruling\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/#Addressing_false_scarcity_where_there_is_none\" >Addressing false scarcity where there is none\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/#A_genuine_fair-choice_screen_free_of_financial_influence\" >A genuine fair-choice screen, free of financial influence\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/#Act_now_or_lose_competition_all_together\" >Act now, or lose competition all together<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Google still abuses its search monopoly in the EU \u2014 regulators wake up!<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                                <span>Last month, Google <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.android.com\/choicescreen-winners\/\"><span>released the results<\/span><\/a><span> of the most recent pay-for-play Android auction. This farcical system is a way for alternative search engines to bid to be one of three search engines \u2014 in addition to the always present Google \u2014 that Android users can choose from, as they set up a new device.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite assurances to regulators and competitors that the auction wouldn\u2019t really be pay-for-play, and wouldn\u2019t omit the popular, purpose-driven search engines from rankings, the results have done nothing to increase competition in search.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The latest \u2018winners\u2019 were mostly little known profit-hungry search engines like GMX, PrivacyWall, and info.com, who crowded out purpose-driven operators.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Purpose-driven search engines like Ecosia (which I founded), DuckDuckGo, Qwant, and Lilo have next to no visibility on Android in this pay-to-play system, and the origin of some of the actual winners, is worthy of cross-examination.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Info.com, for example, makes money in part by buying up search ads on Google and redirecting the searcher to another page of adverts on its own engine. Info.com will now pay money to Google (through the auction format) for the right to place these ads, which Google already makes money from. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Quite literally, they are helping Google profit from a ruling that was meant to curb their dominance, not expand it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_to_no_Android_phones_have_the_choice-screen_built_in_because_of_COVID\"><\/span>\n<b>Next to no Android phones have the choice-screen built in, because of COVID<\/b><span>\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Even if the auction results were more balanced, real choice is not getting through to consumers, since Google decided that the so-called choice-screen would only be built into new devices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As with almost every industry, the coronavirus has completely altered the economic landscape in smartphone manufacturing, with sales down as much as <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpointresearch.com\/germany-smartphone-sales-plunge-q2-2020\/\"><span>50%<\/span><\/a><span> during the height of the pandemic and supply chains disrupted or shut. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Delays have hit production lines for smart devices and far fewer Android phones have been sold since the choice screen went live in April 2020. My team and I estimate a tiny proportion of users have actually been presented with the screen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Regulators need to realize that barely anyone can currently see this choice-screen and adapt their regulation accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_resolution_to_the_2018_EU_ruling\"><\/span>\n<b>No resolution to the 2018 EU ruling<\/b><span>\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Since the 2018 ruling against Google, market conditions for rivals are now significantly worse. Alternative search engines are struggling \u2014 Ecosia, for example, saw revenues cut in half at the height of the pandemic, and Cliqz, a privacy-centric search engine, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cliqz.com\/announcement.html\"><span>collapsed in May<\/span><\/a><span> \u2014 citing COVID and Google\u2019s abuse of the market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We believe that the EU Commission was willing to give the auction process a chance because it wouldn\u2019t necessarily discriminate based on price. But you only have to look at the results of this auction to see that the opposite is now the case. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Google\u2019s dominance of the search landscape still stands at <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gs.statcounter.com\/search-engine-market-share\/all\/europe\"><span>93%<\/span><\/a><span>, and regulators must now consider what else can be done to ensure search rivals can more effectively challenge them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Addressing_false_scarcity_where_there_is_none\"><\/span>\n<b>Addressing false scarcity where there is none<\/b><span>\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Limiting consumer choice to just three options has not only created this upward cycle of unnecessary cost for search providers, but it\u2019s also a bad deal for Android users. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Imagine walking into a supermarket where there are only three varieties of chocolate or coffee? The figure of three is unnecessarily arbitrary, and contrary to the spirit of the 2018 ruling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Android users deserve to be able to freely choose which search engine they use, and there is no technical or logistical reason why this is not possible. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Regulators should pressure Google into opening up the choice-screen to <em>all<\/em> search engines, not just those willing to pay for the privilege, to ensure that all Android users have access to the choice relevant to them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As you can see from our mockup below, there\u2019s no reason why this could not work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-featured_img wp-image-1325414 lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"796\" height=\"448\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-796x448.png\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-796x448.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-280x158.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-240x135.png 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-1592x896.png 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/image1-1-1200x675.png 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_genuine_fair-choice_screen_free_of_financial_influence\"><\/span>\n<b>A genuine fair-choice screen, free of financial influence<\/b><span>\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>The most popular alternative search options are not profit-hungry Google affiliates. They are privacy-friendly, climate-friendly options that users turn to to support a specific cause, like fighting climate change. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As such, the pay-for-play auction model does not work in our favor, as it makes it uneconomic for us to bid high, therefore excluding all the genuine rivals (and the ones that users willingly opt for), like Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, or Qwant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If we\u2019re going to have a screen which is genuinely fair, it should not discriminate on price. Google must urgently look at a genuinely fair-choice screen that doesn\u2019t limit access, or favor the largest competitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Act_now_or_lose_competition_all_together\"><\/span><b>Act now, or lose competition all together<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Since the 2018 ruling, Google has said it is taking measures to open up competition but its actions tell a different story. They\u2019ve done everything they can to protect market share, and to stymie the growth of alternative rivals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now some alternative search engines are teetering on the verge of going under and may struggle to survive the coming winter. We cannot wait several years before looking back to say, \u2018well that didn\u2019t work\u2019. These issues need addressing now \u2014 while there still is a search engine market that isn\u2019t just Google.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>What we\u2019re calling for is fairly easy for Google to implement. They have spent the last 18 months building the technical infrastructure for a choice screen, so adding every player (as demonstrated in the model above), rather than just three, wouldn\u2019t require much additional resource or investment from them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After all, this is how it works on <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2020\/03\/12\/tree-planting-search-engine-ecosia-is-getting-a-visibility-boost-in-chrome\/\"><span>Chrome<\/span><\/a><span>, so what <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lies there should apply on Android. If the EU is not to look helpless in the face of Google, it must realize that the Android auction needs to be reworked so that a genuine choice can be offered to all of the EU\u2019s consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-post-pubDate\">\n                                    Published October 27, 2020 \u2014 15:00 UTC\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script data-src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=378011798897423&amp;version=v2.6\" id=\"socialSrcFacebook\" type=\"text\/template\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/podium\/2020\/10\/27\/google-still-abuses-its-search-monopoly-in-the-eu-regulators-wake-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Google still abuses its search monopoly in the EU \u2014 regulators wake up!&#8221; Last month, Google released the results of the most recent pay-for-play Android auction. This farcical system is a way for alternative search engines to bid to be one of three search engines \u2014 in addition to the always present Google \u2014 that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/podium?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/google-logo-podium.png&signature=2c57fbd00cf2816a834b41c6f2c94c77","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98642\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}