Will Google's Power fade soon?
Using Google search is often more of a reflex than an actual choice. Is this too much power? The outcome of the antitrust trial against Google in the US could have consequences for users worldwide.
Transcript
00:00 Looking for something? Google it.
00:02 Almighty Google is everywhere.
00:04 Chrome is pre-installed on most Android devices
00:07 and Google Search is the default setting in many browsers.
00:11 Using Google is not a choice, really.
00:13 It's more like a reflex.
00:14 That's why Google is facing antitrust charges
00:18 in its home country.
00:19 US lawmakers say the tech giant abused its dominance
00:22 in the search engine market.
00:24 Here's what will happen on your screen
00:26 if Google's monopoly crumbles.
00:29 USA vs. Google.
00:30 Why should you care?
00:32 You could get better search results
00:34 on more tailored search engines.
00:36 They could be more precise in your language
00:39 or deliver more relevant results for your region.
00:42 Examples for that already exist,
00:44 like Naver in South Korea.
00:46 At the moment, though, only a few companies
00:49 dare to step into that field.
00:51 Why?
00:52 Partly because users are too lazy.
00:54 Google is pre-installed on Android phones
00:57 from Samsung, Lenovo or LG.
00:59 Even Apple has Google Search
01:01 in its Safari browser by default.
01:03 Why is that so?
01:05 Because Google pays billions of US dollars each year
01:08 to device makers and browser developers,
01:11 according to the US Department of Justice, or DOJ.
01:14 Plus, all the user data Google collects
01:17 create an even bigger advantage for the tech giant.
01:20 A DOJ attorney claims this has been going on for years.
01:24 This feedback loop, this wheel,
01:26 has been turning for 12 years
01:28 and it always turns to Google's advantage,
01:30 Kenneth Dinser from the US Department of Justice said.
01:33 That makes it really hard for others to compete.
01:36 What about alternatives?
01:39 Well, there really are plenty of other search engines.
01:44 Google says their product is often set as default
01:47 because they offer the best service.
01:49 The competition strongly disagrees.
01:51 A spokesperson of the search engine provider,
01:54 DuckDuckGo, said prior to the trial,
01:56 "Google makes it unduly difficult
01:58 to use DuckDuckGo by default."
02:01 Fact is, Google is big,
02:03 meaning getting into this market is so tough
02:06 that it scares away other companies.
02:08 And when there's no competition,
02:10 Google might not even feel like
02:11 they need to come up with new ideas,
02:13 which could ultimately hinder innovation
02:16 and be bad for users.
02:17 Breaking up monopolies has been good for new inventions.
02:21 Microsoft got in trouble 25 years ago
02:23 for being too big in the computer world.
02:26 They were sued for trying to stop other web browsers
02:29 like Netscape Navigator from succeeding.
02:31 Today, we indeed have a few more web browsers to choose from,
02:35 even though one has reached a certain dominance again.
02:38 While the current trial is based on US law,
02:41 the consequences will be global.
02:43 American big tech companies are exporting their technology
02:46 and business models worldwide.
02:48 They have been rather reluctant to obey regional
02:51 and national laws in the past,
02:53 but changes in their home country
02:55 could have a positive impact in other countries as well
02:58 and might give smaller companies and new ideas
03:01 better chances for success.
03:02 Apart from that, the rulings,
03:04 which are expected in early 2024,
03:07 will affect other global tech giants
03:08 like Amazon and Meta as well.
03:11 And the outcome might change the way you use the internet.
03:14 You've had enough of almighty Google?
03:17 We'll show you how easy it is
03:18 to change your default search engine.
03:21 How to set up a different search engine.
03:24 So how difficult is it really
03:26 to change your default search engine?
03:28 Here's how to do it in Firefox on an Android device.
03:31 Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.
03:34 Tap search settings.
03:36 Tap search engine.
03:38 Select the search engine of your choice.
03:40 On an iPhone, it works like this.
03:42 Go to settings and scroll down until you find Safari.
03:45 Tap it, then tap search engine.
03:48 Select another search engine.
03:50 Generally, this is how it works for all kinds of devices.
03:53 Not so difficult.
03:55 So even though Google might be big and powerful,
03:58 it's also up to us users to make a change
04:01 and not just accept the default search engine.