So they found Google guilty of monopolistic practices then agreed to do nothing about it.
Sounds about right.
this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
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How disappointing but expected. I'm not even sure what would break googles search engine dominance outside of search engines becoming obsolete. I use DDG and I find it to be better than google but still so many people stand by google search with strong loyalty.
I very much dislike Google but constantly search stuff on DDG, with little to no success. Then I’ll add !g to the front, and a decent chunk of the time what I’m looking for is top 3, not including all the sponsored shit.
Are there specific ways you search for DDG to be better?
I've had the exact opposite experience for the past year. I had to switch the default to DDG at work where I need to search for specific model numbers every day. I don't remember the last time I actually Googled something on the PC or phone (Firefox search bar with DDG default). I only use Google for maps where it's always been the best.
The only time I ever need to use a google bang is when im searching for something specifically local like a restaurant. DDG uses apple maps and apple maps is complete garbage.
When I cant find something on DDG and I use the !g 99% of the time I cant find it on google either.
Funny how experiences can be so different. I find Apple Maps much better than Google maps.
Exactly why the freedom for users to choose between different software is so important :)
Try search aggregators, at least the fingerprint won't be attached to you (with some at least)
It really seems to depend on the topic. I would say, on average DDG is better from my experience. However, when it doesn't work it really doesn't work. Google usually has something you want fairly early in the results.
i use ecosia, it works :3
Never heard of it! I’ll check it out
They do a lot to help the environment. I just recently learned about them so I don't know how well they do with search results, but I like their mission.
I moved to DDG because I felt Google results were getting worse. You would search for something specific and instead just get varying degrees of the same article on different sites about it instead.
Then I felt DDG was getting worse in just not always getting what was related, so I've moved to qwant.
Other than not always getting geo-related results, the results have been the best I've seen in a while so I've stuck around for now.
Same. Ddg can't find shit.
Barring them from offering exclusive deals, which allows competitors to get in the mix at places like Mozilla.
I did not come up with this idea, this was one of the remedies the Judge chose. @Squiddork@lemmy.world Telling them to drop Chrome was just flashy talk.
I dont think that would help because chrome would offer good by default and apple would offer chrome by default for the "best experience" and they dont need the money. Then alternative browsers with an already low market share would get paid less to offer other search engines. Its risky to ship a non google search by default.
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Google should lose control of Android. Maybe then we'll keep the ability to install any app we want.
You think other companies would provide sideloading like samsung, and oneplus? They would lock the OS hard and make it difficult to even unlock. Making android more closed than before.
Well then why aren't they doing so now? They're already maintaining their own forks of android, should be pretty trivial to do.
They need to maintain compatibility with play services to access apps on play store.
Also, starting with OnUI 8 bootloader unlocking is no longer supported. On OxugenOS 16 its only allowed with restrictions. The hardening is already started.
allowing 3rd party app installs is not required for play services
I never said it was. Not sure what you mean.
you said this:
They need to maintain compatibility with play services to access apps on play store.
but that does not explain why don't they already block installing 3rd party apps. they don't need to allows this to oeep access to the play store.
Samsung blocks installing apps outside Playstore if you enable their advanced blocker mode. Xiaomi also warns and shows a pop-up for 10-30s preventing it.
Pixel's advanced protection mode does the same.
Also, when i metioned that I was talking about OEMs forking android and making it harder to use per your needs. Which would mean modifying android which could mean failing some CTS tests for play services. Boot loader unlocking is already on the verge of being killed. Installing apps and other things you currently do on your android could be next if OEMs were allowed free reign.
I received quite a few responses about apps when I wanted to Highlight the bootloader unlocking, custom ROMs, root, etc. I guess my comment was not too clear.
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I highly doubt AOSP can't mantain itself, and that manufacturers could build from it and do whatever.
It'd probably take some sort of Linux Foundation style arrangement with manufacturers supporting a neutral team built from Google's Android division.
Completely expected. Google paid the protection money.
They kissed the ring. The 'O' ring.
With reports of Elon Musk eying to buy Chrome or OpenAI… sorry but I believe this was the best outcome, what we need is people using more Firefox that is one of the few non-Chromium browser out there.
Yeah, i had the same thoughts. The current chrome is better than the "Hitlerdidnothingwrong AI-First" browser those goons would have cooked up...
Was that anything more than just rumors? Letting a currently monopolistic company keep the browser because another bad billionaire might buy it and do something bad with it just prevents anything from changing.
Who would buy a browser for billions and billions of dollars? Just see who has this amount of money and how aggressive they would need to be to get return of investment.
But he did...bar the search giant from making exclusive deals to distribute its search or AI assistant products in ways that might cut off distribution for rivals.
Oh boy there goes Firefox
Nah its just the default search engine and you can still change the default, thus not cutting off distribution of other engines.
I think they're referring to Firefox's funding, a lot of which was through search deals
An article from 5 years ago: https://www.pcmag.com/news/mozilla-signs-lucrative-3-year-google-search-deal-for-firefox
edit: seems like that hasn't changed by this ruling either
United States District Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that Google can continue to pay other companies, including browser makers like Mozilla, to be their default search engine.
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/09/google-antitrust-ruling-firefox-search-deal
From the article you linked:
In return for Google being the default search engine in Firefox, Mozilla is expected to bank $400M+ a year.
Literally what I am talking about. I can still switch away from the default. No other search companies are being denied access to being set as the default search engine in Firefox. Google just pays a premium so they are the default out of the box, which would not be anti-competitive under this order.
bar the search giant from making exclusive deals to distribute its search or AI assistant products in ways that might cut off distribution for rivals.
This by definition does not cut off their distribution in Firefox. Google can still make this deal with Mozilla. It is not an exclusivity deal, it's a default search engine deal. Exclusivity or cutting off distribution would be making Google the only search engine option in Firefox.
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/09/google-antitrust-ruling-firefox-search-deal
United States District Judge Amit Mehta has ruled that Google can continue to pay other companies, including browser makers like Mozilla, to be their default search engine.
I see, I'll edit my other comment. So what even changes then, were they even making exclusive deals in the past? The discussion I remember was about how being the default made it difficult for others to compete since most people don't change the defaults.
I think that was mainly solved (here in the EU at least) by requiring a choice of search engine when first opening a browser.
I don't remember this being enforced.
I’m questioning why they would make such a lucrative deal with Mozilla in the future, now that antitrust is just a front for government extortion
Thank you for clarifying.
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Who cares about chrome? Of all the things Chrome is the easiest to replace. Android is the real deal.
No one saw that coming
Fuuuuck.
Just don't do it again mmmkay?
I'm on ecosia with okay search results. Sadly if I know it exists but still having problems I resist to Google but Supposedly ecosia plants trees with some of the revenue
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I mean, of all the things to cut off of them, Chrome made the least sense to me. It's not a profitable part of the business, it would just die if spun off. The only reason Firefox is alive is because Google is funding them. Plus changing what browser you use is much easier than some of the other monopolies they have (Android, ads, YouTube).
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