The European Union introduced the Digital Markets Act (DMA) last year, which applies to companies identified as “Gatekeepers.” These regulations will come into effect in March, prompting us to commence testing and implementing various modifications to our products. People and businesses in Europe can expect to see these changes in the upcoming weeks, and we want to provide an overview of our efforts.
As we evaluate and introduce these changes, certain Google products may undergo visual and functional alterations. For instance:
- Additional consents for linked services: Currently, we share data among certain Google products and services for specific purposes, such as personalizing content and ads based on user settings. In the next few weeks, European users will be presented with an additional consent banner to determine whether these services can continue sharing data for these purposes. If services aren’t linked, some features may be restricted or unavailable. Users can modify their choices at any time in their Google Account settings.
- Changes to Search results: In Europe, we will expand our testing of several changes to the search results page. This includes introducing dedicated units containing links to comparison sites from across the web and adding query shortcuts at the top of the search page to help users refine their searches. For categories like hotels, we will also start testing a dedicated space for comparison sites and direct suppliers to display detailed individual results, such as images and star ratings. As a result, some features, such as the Google Flights unit, will be removed from the search page.
- Choice screens: As per the DMA, designated companies must show additional choice screens, which users may start to see when setting up an Android phone or using the Chrome app on desktop and iOS devices.
- Data portability: To comply with new requirements concerning data transfer to a third-party app or service, we will be testing a Data Portability API for developers alongside our existing offerings such as Google Takeout and the Data Transfer Initiative.
We have solicited feedback from the European Commission and stakeholders, including developers, advertisers, and affected companies, regarding the changes. While we support several of the DMA’s goals related to consumer choice and interoperability, we have concerns that some of the rules may limit options for people and businesses in Europe.
This update reflects an ongoing process. Further details about the final changes to comply with the new rules will be shared prior to the March deadline.
