Key Takeaways:
Switzerland's competition watchdog opened a preliminary probe into Google over the removal of a feature letting Android users choose an alternative search engine.
Switzerland's Competition Commission launched a preliminary investigation into Google on Tuesday after the tech giant removed a "Choice Screen" feature that let Android users opt out of its search engine as default, the authority said.
"This new practice by Google could affect the ability of search engine providers and, more broadly, other digital service providers to compete," COMCO said in a statement, adding that it "also creates an unequal treatment between Swiss users and those in the European Economic Area."
Google removed the feature in Switzerland even as it remained available across the EEA, COMCO said. The company holds 82% of the Swiss search market, according to Statcounter, a web analytics firm. The probe will assess whether the move violates the Swiss Cartel Act, which prohibits unlawful restrictions of competition.
The investigation adds to Alphabet Inc.'s mounting antitrust exposure in Europe, where regulators have already imposed billions of euros in fines over search and Android bundling practices. A finding of unlawful competition could force Google to reinstate the Choice Screen in Switzerland or face financial penalties, potentially setting a precedent for how default settings are governed outside the EEA.
The Choice Screen was introduced in Europe following the European Commission's 2018 record 4.34 billion-euro ($4.7 billion) fine against Google for illegally tying its search and browser apps to Android. That penalty — the largest ever imposed by the EU — required Google to offer users a choice of search providers on new Android devices. COMCO's secretariat said the removal of that option in Switzerland "could reinforce barriers to entry" for competing search engines, limiting their visibility during device setup.
The probe will examine whether Google's conduct constitutes an unlawful restriction of competition under the Cartel Act, with the secretariat noting that findings "could also be relevant to the assessment of practices related to default settings on other mobile devices." That language signals the investigation may extend beyond search to encompass broader default-setting practices across Google's Android ecosystem.
Google said it was aware of the probe and would cooperate. "We look forward to cooperating fully with the authority to address their questions," a spokesperson said.
The Swiss action mirrors a broader regulatory push against Big Tech's control of default settings. In the US, the Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google — which concluded with a landmark ruling in August 2024 that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in search — centered on the company's multi-billion-dollar payments to Apple Inc. and other device makers to secure default placement. A remedies hearing in that case is scheduled for later this year.
For Alphabet, the Swiss probe represents a fresh regulatory front at a time when the company is already navigating antitrust challenges across three continents. The European Commission is currently investigating whether Google's compliance with the Digital Markets Act — including its Choice Screen implementation — adequately addresses competition concerns. Any adverse ruling in Switzerland, a market of 8.7 million people, could embolden other small-market regulators to pursue similar actions against dominant platforms.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
