Consumer watchdog launches investigation into online search engines

Australia’s client watchdog is investigating on-line serps to grasp what impression they’ve on business competitors.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has beforehand appeared into the realm, most not too long ago in 2021, however is now launching a brand new probe because of developments by the tech giants that run the providers.

It is in search of public submissions to grasp what net customers need from serps, and to gauge the connection between search high quality and market competitors.

Google logos on a search engine result
Google is the biggest of the major search engines, with about 90 per cent of the market share. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

“Significant changes have occurred since the ACCC last examined search services in 2021” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb stated.

“We’ve seen new laws introduced overseas that place obligations on so-called gatekeeper search engines and the emergence of new technologies, like generative AI, that have changed the way consumers search for information online and may be impacting the quality of the service they are receiving.

“The ACCC needs to grasp the impression of those developments on normal search providers and finally, how they have an effect on competitors and shoppers.”

Google's search engine page
The ACCC will seek the public’s submissions on their experiences with search engines. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Its last investigation into the area found Google’s position as the dominant search engine was aided by it being pre-installed on some devices.

Google has about a 90 per cent market share, dwarfing rival search engines like Bing and Yahoo.

The ACCC said it will look at the impact of new laws in other countries, including the UK and European Union, that force search engines to promote competition, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in the area.

Major Australian brands.

New name at top of Australia’s most trusted brands

“We are keen to listen to from companies and shoppers about their experiences with normal search providers to higher perceive how regulatory and trade developments are affecting the extent of competitors and shoppers available in the market for normal search providers,” Cass-Gottlieb said.

The investigation will kind a part of a report because of be finalised by the tip of September.

Source: www.9news.com.au