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Google Makes Search Engine Switching Burdensome, Experts Find

  • Google claims switching search engines is easy, but design experts found the steps confusing and tedious.

  • On iPhones, the settings to change search engines are buried deep in menus. Experts say most people would give up.

  • On Macs, Safari's inconsistency between desktop and mobile is problematic. The magnifying glass icon is unclear.

  • Google's Android instructions don't work on all devices. Removing the widget doesn't change the browser's search engine.

  • Default settings have power. Companies know you'll likely stick with the status quo because changing takes effort.

nytimes.com
Relevant topic timeline:
The US Justice Department argues that Google uses its power to stifle competition and maintain its dominance as the most popular search engine, while Google claims that users rely on them due to the quality of their search engine, in a landmark antitrust case that could test the limits of corporate power in the United States.
Google is facing a trial in which the government alleges that the company has worked to establish a monopoly over internet searches despite the potential risks, with the central theme being whether Google's actions align with customer preferences.
DuckDuckGo, a privacy-centric search engine, struggles to compete with Google due to the difficulty of switching from the default option, according to its founder in an antitrust trial.
Apple considered replacing Google with DuckDuckGo as its default search engine in private browsing mode, according to recent testimony by DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg in the Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google.
If regulators win the antitrust trial against Google, it could lead to significant changes that diminish the dominance of the search engine and open up new avenues for competition and consumer choice in online services.