In recent years, the European Union (EU) has enacted a flurry of legislation to hold big tech companies accountable for their business practices and force them to implement more consumer-friendly policies, such as requiring iPhones to adopt a USB-C interface. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is one such regulation that aims to ensure fair and open digital markets by weakening the power of "gatekeepers" such as Alphabet (Google), Apple, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Amazon and ByteDance (TikTok).
With the DMA set to take effect in March 2024, Google is making a series of changes to some of its most popular products, including Search and Android. One of the most notable consumer-facing changes is that whenever EU residents search for something to buy, Google will add a "dedicated cell" to search results showing links to comparison sites across the web. The new search page will also include "query shortcuts" at the top to help users improve their searches.
If you're searching for hotels, Google will reserve a dedicated space in the search results for comparison sites and provide more details for each result, including pictures, star ratings, and more. In order to comply with the DMA's guidelines and implement these changes, Google will also have to remove its own services, such as Google Flights, from search results.
Google will also provide EU residents with more search engine options on Android, allowing them to choose a default search engine other than Google. Additionally, the company will offer similar options to Chrome browser users on desktops, iPhones, and iPads.
Google will show EU users an additional consent banner in search results asking them if they can continue sharing data across its apps and services to help tailor content and serve personalized ads. The company warns that if users opt out of linked services, some features may be limited or unavailable. However, Google did not explain which features will be discontinued and which services will be limited if users opt out of data sharing.
Finally, Google will launch a Data Portability API for developers to help them transfer data to third-party applications or services. The company already offers users the ability to download or transfer copies of data from most of its apps, so the new feature will expand the scope and scale of its data portability services.