Alphabet-owned Google, which is making a series of changes to meet the requirements of EU’s latest Digital Markets Act (DMA), has expressed concerns some rules will reduce the choice available to people and businesses in Europe.
The world's largest provider of search and video advertisements said it was making changes after discussion with the European Commission, industry stakeholders and consumer associations through workshops, events and direct interactions.
They are the result of “intensive work over many months” from engineers, researchers, product managers and product designers from across the company, said Oliver Bethell, Google’s director for competition.
“A number of the new rules involve difficult trade-offs that will impact the people and businesses who use our products.”
This is the fairest way to offer alternative billing, as it puts the user fully in control of their preferred transaction method
Oliver Bethell,
Google’s director for competition
“We have sought to balance various important issues and engage with relevant stakeholders about these trade-offs as we implement our compliance measures.”
For example, Google said changes to its search platform may send more traffic to large intermediaries and aggregators, and less to direct suppliers such as hotels, airlines, merchants and restaurants.
For consumers, some of the features Google has developed to help get things done quickly and securely online, such as providing recommendations across various products, will not work in the same way any more, it added.
The National looks at the new law and some of the changes that Google has made to comply.
What is Digital Markets Act?
The new law, which will come into force on March 8, aims to make the digital sector markets “fairer and contestable” in Europe.
It establishes a set of criteria to identify “gatekeepers”, large digital platforms providing services such as online search engines, app stores and messenger services.
DMA, which requires operating systems to allow users to use third-party apps and app stores, is one of the first tools to regulate the gatekeeper power of large digital companies such as Google and Apple.
The European Commission said companies that depend on gatekeepers to offer their services will have a “fairer business environment”, while technology start-ups will have new opportunities to compete.
It will also allow consumers to compare prices and switch their service provider if they wish.
More choices for consumers
Google said it has introduced more than 20 product changes, including dedicated units to let users find comparison sites in areas such as flights, hotels and shopping.
As per the new regulations, companies like Google will show additional choice screens to users. When users use an Android (Google-owned OS) phone, they can easily switch their search engine or browser.
Giving users more control over their data
Currently, Google shares data across some of its products and services to offer personalised content and ads, depending on users’ settings. Now users in the European Economic Area can choose if they want to continue to share data across Google services or not.
Google is also upgrading its advertising products and tools to help advertisers communicate consent for data they collect, in accordance the long standing EU end user consent policy.
Alternative billing
The DMA requires app stores to allow developers to use alternative billing systems for the completion of in-app purchases.
Google has launched two programmes that allow app developers to transact with their EEA users through the developer’s own billing system, rather than through Google Play’s billing system.
“This is the fairest way to offer alternative billing, as it puts the user fully in control of their preferred transaction method,” Mr Bethell said.
Google Play also allows developers to communicate with customers outside their app about offers or lower-cost options available on a rival app store or the developer’s website.
Caught on the wrong foot in Europe
Google has previously faced troubles in EU over various issues related to misleading advertising and the amount of tax it pays.
In July 2021, it was fined €500 million ($542.3 million) by French authorities after the company failed to comply with orders on how to conduct “fair” talks with the country's news publishers and agencies.
In June 2021, Google agreed to pay €220 million to French authorities and said it will change the way its online advertising works.
In March 2019, it was also fined €1.5 billion by the EU for practices deemed to be anti-competitive. This followed previous anti-trust disputes in 2017 and 2018 that led to the company being slapped with total fines of €6.8 billion.
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
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Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The%20specs
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THURSDAY'S FIXTURES
4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors
6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils
8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company%20profile
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More on animal trafficking
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Company%20profile%20
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Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
