Natalia Drozdiak, Bloomberg:

Starting next year, Google will prompt users to make a choice between Google and three other rival options as their default search provider. Google invited search providers to bid as part of an auction on the new choice screen, which will appear when a user sets up a new Android smartphone or tablet in Europe for the first time.

This is all about avoiding big EU antitrust fines. To get a sense of what the “choose your search provider” interface looks like, check out the pic in the Google blog post announcing the change.

Not clear if this change will be limited to the EU. Also not clear if this will impact Apple. Google pays for that default search provider spot. Will Apple be forced to open that spot up to similar competition?