UK Regulator Proposes Search Engine Choice for Android and Chrome Users
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has proposed requiring Google to show users a choice of search services when they first set up an Android smartphone or open the Chrome browser. This would include AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, which could also appear on these screens if they meet the regulator's technical and safety requirements.
Under the new rules, Google would have to ask users each year to choose their default search service. Search services would also be required to accurately identify publishers and the sources of their materials, helping users access original content and understand where the results come from.
The regulator's proposal aims to give users more control over the tools they rely on for searching online, while challenging Google's established defaults. The way people search for information is changing, with AI assistants increasingly being used as search services.