Swiss regulator probes Google over dropped Android choice screen
Switzerland's competition watchdog has opened an investigation after Google removed a feature letting Android users pick their default search engine, exposing the limits of the EU's digital regulations beyond its borders.
Switzerland's Competition Commission has opened a preliminary investigation into Google after the company stopped letting Swiss Android users choose their default search engine when setting up new devices.
The feature, known as the Choice Screen, remains active for users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. Google removed it solely in Switzerland, a market that sits outside the EU's regulatory jurisdiction.
"Default settings play a crucial role in digital markets... eliminating this feature could restrict the visibility of search engines that compete with Google during device setup, thereby increasing barriers to market entry," the watchdog said. The body, known as WEKO, noted that the screen was discontinued in Switzerland while remaining available across the European Economic Area.
For European observers, the move demonstrates the precise boundaries of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The choice screen originated as a remedy in the EU's Android antitrust case in March 2020 and became a strict requirement under the DMA when Google was designated a gatekeeper in September 2023. By dropping the screen in Switzerland, Google is drawing a hard line between markets where the DMA applies and those where it does not.
Without the screen, rival search engines lose a primary channel to acquire users on the dominant mobile operating system. This risks entrenching Google's market position in Switzerland at the direct expense of competitors.
Swiss authorities had bet this line would not appear. A 2023 assessment by a government coordination group concluded that large foreign tech platforms would apply EU rules in Switzerland anyway, assuming it would not be financially worthwhile to run different systems for a neighbouring market.
That assumption is now facing a direct test. Switzerland is drafting a Federal Act on Communication Platforms and Search Engines, following a consultation that opened in October 2025 and closed in February. However, the legislation is modelled on the EU's Digital Services Act, which handles content moderation, rather than the DMA, which governs default settings.
The bill is not expected to reach parliament before late 2026 or early 2027. In the meantime, WEKO’s preliminary investigation will determine whether Google's action warrants a formal competition case under Swiss cartel law.
