Swiss Competition Watchdog Probes Google Over Android Search Engine Default
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The Swiss competition authority has begun investigating Google after the company removed a feature that allowed Android phone users to choose a default search engine from other providers when setting up a new device for the first time.
The Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) announced it has opened a preliminary investigation into Google’s policy. According to a Reuters report, the feature known as the Choice Screen previously gave Android users the freedom to determine their default search engine when first activating a device.
However, COMCO stated that Google had removed this feature specifically in Switzerland, even though the option remains available in other European countries.
As a result, Google’s search engine automatically becomes the default choice for all Android users in Switzerland, without being given an alternative to choose another service.
Google said it was aware of the investigation and was ready to cooperate with the regulator.
“We are aware of this investigation. We look forward to cooperating fully with the authorities to answer their questions,” a Google spokesperson said.
COMCO considers default settings to play a highly significant role in the digital market. The removal of the search engine choice is deemed to reduce the visibility of other search services competing with Google when users set up their devices for the first time.
“Google’s new practice may affect the ability of search engine providers and, more broadly, other digital service providers to compete,” COMCO said.
The regulator also considers the policy creates unequal treatment between users in Switzerland and users in the European Economic Area (EEA), who can still choose their default search engine when activating an Android device.
“It also creates unequal treatment between Swiss users and users in the European Economic Area,” COMCO added.
Through this preliminary investigation, COMCO will assess whether Google’s policy violates competition provisions under the Swiss Cartel Act.
According to data from web analytics firm Statcounter, Google still dominates the search engine market in Switzerland with a market share of 82%.