You'll never guess who's giving Google a right shoeing lately. Talking about barring Chrome, Search as defaults... any other nations watching? In an effort to limit potential regulation in Australia, Google filed a reply to a preliminary Oz government report examining the impact of Facebook and Google on the country's media and business landscape. The omnipresent tech biz's comments, submitted last month and released this week, detail the ad giant's love of …
Aren't there any countries where it is forbidden for Google to put its search engine as default on Chrome, or Chrome as default browser on Android? If Russia did not do it already, maybe they should consider it. I believe they're the only country in the world where there is a close competition between Google and a local search engine (Google is getting trounced by the locals in China and Korea).
It would be interesting to know what is the actual effect on market share. I think that Bing is not having much success even though it's probably the default on everything Microsoft...
Yeah right, only a few of us technies use DDG, the majority use Google for everything and don't realize how much data they steal or that alternatives even exist. They have "competition" in search the same way Microsoft had "competition" in PC operating systems when they were fighting the FTC in the late 90s...
the majority use Google for everything
Bear in mind though that for the vast majority of PC users, the use of Google search is a choice that they have made.
All Microsoft Windows machines come with the search engine set to Bing; whether the browser is Internet Explorer or Edge, so if a user is using Chrome - or actively changes their search engine to Google - that is a conscious choice they have made.
Obviously, in the case of phones and tablets, any Android device will be set to use Google by default, so there is an argument to be made that Google has little competition in that market.
"Bear in mind though that for the vast majority of PC users, the use of Google search is a choice that they have made."
Bullshit. Do you buy a new car thinking about whether or not it uses gasoline or diesel? I bet you don't. In fact, I bet you only consider diesel when it's brought to your attention.
It's even worse. There is versions of Chrome that won't even allow you to change to DuckDuckGo, for instance Chrome 70.0 on Android 7.1.1.... yep, DDG isn't even an option. So I consider my options, but Google doesn't allow me to choose, so how about that for choice?
Did you even read the bit you quoted?
and this bit? All Microsoft Windows machines come with the search engine set to Bing;
I said PC Users. Android is different.
Oh and yes, if I were to buy a new car,the first thing I would consider is which type of engine I wanted.
I did read it, and the rest of what you posted. You assume people made a conscious choice in choosing Google who use what, Internet Explorer? Ok, so the percentage of IE users who intentionally select Google is the majority? Chrome still defaults to Google, so surely you don't mean them. Just trying to figure out how you know the majority of Windows users consciously choose Google instead of using whatever the working default is.
Also, I would love to see an actual stat on how many people who buy a new car say to themselves: "O.k., diesel or gasoline...hmmm?" I'd then like to see a stat that represented how many people know the pros and cons of such to make a choice. This has me interested now.
Just trying to figure out how you know the majority of Windows users consciously choose Google instead of using whatever the working default is.
Because most new Windows machines don't come with Chrome installed, and with their default browsers set to Bing. If, therefore, they are using Google search, then that has to have been a conscious choice on their part.
I was responding to Doug S who said only a few of us technies use DDG, the majority use Google for everything
Also, I would love to see an actual stat on how many people who buy a new car say to themselves: "O.k., diesel or gasoline...hmmm?" I'd then like to see a stat that represented how many people know the pros and cons of such to make a choice. This has me interested now.
Here in the UK, this is definitely a big factor in the choice of car, and I would hazard a guess the same is true in Europe, as our respective governments are trying to clamp down on emissions. For years we were pushed to choose a diesel over a petrol (gas) engine, and they even subsidised the cost of diesel fuel to make that choice more attractive, but then suddenly it's all changed, and they are trying to push diesel cars off the roads now.
A generic install of Windows will have Bing as the default in the stock Microsoft IE/Edge browser.
When you buy a PC from Dell or whoever, that default is changed if someone pays for it, and it is obvious who is going to be willing to pay for that.
Even if you get a PC that left the default alone, often the install of unrelated software like AV will alter your search defaults, add a "google search bar" or even install Chrome itself and "helpfully" change your default browser.
So sorry, no, for most people it isn't a conscious choice.
But technies have parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. So there is some room for guerrilla marketing for DDG and others. Most will not care what the default search engine is as long as it gives good results. And it is trivial to reset the default search engine in many browsers.
All you have to do is look at where they make their money. Apple makes almost nothing from advertising, while Google makes almost all their money from advertising. Even if Apple wanted to collect bucketfuls of your personal information, they don't have any way to monetize it. So why bother, and risk compromise to their efforts to be seen as the more privacy focused alternative?
Quote: "...urged stronger privacy protections..."
Whoever "urged stronger privacy protections" in Australia hasn't been reading the news!
The Australian government wants backdoors into every data stream, so that Bruce can read every email, every text message.......everything anyone communicates to anyone else!!
"Privacy protections"........don't make me laugh......give me a break!!!!!
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