The Swiss competition authority announced on Tuesday that it had opened a preliminary investigation into Google’s removal of the “choice screen” feature on Android devices in Switzerland.
The feature allowed users to choose their default search engine during the initial setup of a new Android device.
“Recently, Google removed this feature in Switzerland,” the Secretariat of the Competition Commission (COMCO) said in a statement.
“As a result, the Google search engine is imposed as the default for Swiss users, without a ‘choice screen’ appearing during initial setup.”
COMCO said its removal could limit the visibility of search engines that compete with Google, thus reinforcing barriers to entry.
“This new practice by Google could affect the ability of search engine providers and, more broadly, other digital service providers to compete,” he said.
It also creates unequal treatment between Swiss users and those in the surrounding European Economic Area, “even though the competitive issues are comparable”, he added.
The EEA covers 30 countries, expanding the 27-member European Union’s common market to three more countries. Switzerland is not a member of either bloc.
COMCO said that in digital markets, default settings played a crucial role, with the opt-in screen intended to reduce lock-in effects associated with pre-configured settings.
“The preliminary investigation will determine whether there are indications of an unlawful restriction of competition under the Cartel Act,” COMCO said.
A Google spokesperson told AFP the tech giant was aware of the investigation.
“We expect to co-operate fully with the authority to address their queries,” the spokesman added.
In early July, the EU’s top court upheld a record 4.1 billion euro ($4.7 billion) fine the bloc slapped on Google for anti-competitive practices related to its Android operating system.
The European Court of Justice rejected the US tech giant’s second attempt to overturn the penalty imposed by the European Commission in 2018 – which remains the EU’s highest ever antitrust fine.
The commission, the 27-nation bloc’s antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to limit competition.
It alleges that Google has pressured manufacturers of phones running Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser – essentially shutting out rivals.
