DuckDuckGo Outstrips Bing To Challenge Google Search's Dominance

As a result of the conflict between Google and the EU, the American search giant has announced that all the new Android devices for the EU market will have alternative search engines instead of Google Search. Specifically, Google’s rivalry competitor DuckDuckGo is the choice that will be offered most frequently while Microsoft’s Bing sat at the bottom of the list, according to Google’s report.

As from March 1, 2019, users who live in Europe and start to use Android devices will have four options of search engines to set one out of them as their default, shutting down the longstanding dominance of Google Search in Android devices. Users are now given the right to choose a default for searches made through the search box on the device's home screen as well as in the Chrome browser. In addition, the device will then be installed with the new provider’s app.

Last March, Google had to face an antitrust suitcase with the European Union, leading to the introduction of “choice screen”. Aside from paying $5 billion worth of penalty, the tech giant was ordered to stop manipulating the "illegal tie" between Google Search and Android-based devices.

Ironically, Google has created an “auction system” for every single EU market. The system designs a bidding method that requires other search engine providers to play along with before making their availability on Android devices. The result will depend on which providers pay the highest bid per user (if chosen), and Google will prompt three winners for users when setting up their phones.

DuckDuckGo ties for the first place in most of the countries - excluding the UK, while Bing is the highest bidder in this country but absent from the lists of other markets.