Google Announces Major Changes To Users And Developers In Europe

Google made an update to comply with EU rules. (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA - On Tuesday, March 5, Alphabet's, Google's parent company, outlined changes to new search results and tools for app developers to promote their products in third-party apps and competing app stores. This is done as part of an effort to comply with historic EU technology regulations aimed at controlling Big Tech's power.

Appointed as a doorkeeper controlling millions of users and businesses access to their platforms Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and TikTok owner ByteDance must comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on March 7.

The company has announced some changes that only apply to users in Europe in January and has since improved some of them in response to feedback from EU antitrust regulators, users, and app developers.

Changes to search results mean major intermediaries and aggregators will get more traffic while hotels, airlines, merchants and restaurants will get less, Google said in a blog post.

Users will be asked for their approval to allow Google to share their data across Google products and services.

App developers will be able to use alternative billing systems and not just Google Play billing while new programs will allow them to directly lead European users outside the app to promote their products.

Google will also launch data portability software in Europe this week, making it easier for developers to move user data to third-party apps or services.