The Australian authorities are once again attacking the interests of the American web giants, in this case Google. According to information provided by Reuters, an Australian regulator has just announced that it wants to better control mobile searches in his country. For this, he intends to force Google to have a “screen of choice” on smartphones. This, so that Australian users can have the option of switching to another search engine if they wish.
A measure that aligns with those already taken in Europe
Image from google search
In Australia, Google currently holds nearly 94% of the market share for internet searches. This allows him to reap huge profits mainly from advertising.
For the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), this position of dominance of Google is very harmful. It does not benefit competition, let alone consumers. Through an official press release, its president accuses the company of profiting greatly from this situation of virtual monopoly. This is to fund arrangements to remain the default search engine on many devices.
In this regard, the committee did not fail to pin the multinational Apple. The latter would benefit from regular payment in order to make Google the default search engine for its devices.
This desire to reduce the influence of the Mountain View giant on mobile searches is not unique to Australia. Other nations are on the same page as well. European countries have already forced the firm to allow owners of phones running Android to have the choice of their search engine.
A report from a larger study
Before publishing its findings, the Australian commission worked on several large firms working in the internet field. This had previously resulted in a law forcing Google and Facebook to pay Australian media for the recovery of their content.
The American giant Google was quick to react to the Australian authority’s proposal. Unlike last time, the firm was very accommodating. Through her spokesperson, she declares that she is examining the report with great interest. Before adding that they will discuss it with the regulatory authority and the government.
Finally, the ACCC added that it intends to submit very soon measures related to the work done on the Internet sector. This will not be effective until next year.
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
