TPG Telecom also had a search deal with Google

TPG Telecom has agreed not to renew an arrangement with Google that set its search as the default on Android devices that the telco sold.

The agreement, in the form of a court-enforceable undertaking, was made as part of a broader investigation into Google’s practices by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Last month, it emerged that Telstra and Optus had similar arrangements with Google that they also now would not renew.

The ACCC said that the deal with TPG Telecom has been in place “since at least 2018”.

It meant that “Google’s search services were pre-installed as the default search service on an exclusive basis on Android devices supplied by TPG.”

TPG “fully cooperated” with the ACCC investigation.

“In our view, this undertaking from TPG, following those recently accepted from Telstra and Optus, is another important step towards providing Australian consumers with more choice about the digital platforms and services they use, and to encourage more competition in these markets,” ACCC commissioner Liza Carver said in a statement.

“We are pleased that now all three mobile network operators in Australia have responded to the ACCC’s competition concerns by offering these undertakings.”

The ACCC said its investigations are continuing.

The arrangements with telcos contributed to Google search having a consistent 98 percent market share in Australia in the three years to July 2024, with others like Microsoft’s Bing having tiny shares.