"Google" intends to allow search engines to compete for Android

   

 By Alexander James           August 2, 2019

Google, owned by Alphabet Group, plans to allow other search engines to compete to be the default engine for new Android devices in Europe, but will have to pay for the franchise.

In its new proposal to avoid new EU antitrust sanctions, Google on Friday announced plans to give users the freedom to choose their preferred search engine, Reuters reported.

The move comes a year after the European Commission fined U.S tech giant 4.34 billion euros ($4.81 billion) for blocking competitors by pre-installing its Chrome browser and applying search to smartphones and small operating laptops working with operating system Android.

The union also asked the company to stop its practices that conflict edited together to compete fairly or face fines of up to five percent of Alphabet's average daily earnings worldwide.

Google said in a blog post that users in Europe from early 2020 can choose a virtual search engine from among four options, including Google, when they set up a new Android phone or tablet.

Competing search engines will be able to apply to join Google in four separate auctions in each country.