Google's Search Monopoly: A Bribery Experiment Reveals Habit's Weakness

Research suggests Google's dominance stems partly from a perceived, rather than actual, superiority. An experiment paid participants to use Bing for two weeks. While most reverted to Google after payments ceased, a significant portion continued using Bing, suggesting habit change is achievable. This finding influenced antitrust lawsuits against Google. Governments may fund campaigns and offer incentives to encourage users to try alternatives, challenging Google's monopoly. Google argues that forcing users to switch would negatively impact user experience, but the experiment showed that a carefully designed nudge can make a difference.