Choose the planet, choose Ecosia: why you’re going to be asked to pick a search engine
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We’re coming up to a major, potentially planet-changing moment, where hundreds of millions of people could choose Ecosia — and you can help us make a big impact. Starting this week in the EU, Google and Apple will ask you if you want to choose or keep using Ecosia.
If you use Chrome (on desktop and Pixel devices) or have an iPhone, you will see a choice screen after you update your browser or device. This screen will give you the option to select your default search engine or browser: one that aligns with your values and preferences, rather than the preset default on your device.
So when you get prompted to select a default search engine or browser, choose the planet and pick Ecosia (even if you already use Ecosia)! Importantly, now is the moment to spread the word, to tell your friends to pick Ecosia and to help us grow our impact together.
Why is there a choice screen?
Alongside our climate action, we have always campaigned for a fairer, more sustainable internet. We’re the only search engine that gives all of its profits to the planet and we compete with some of the biggest companies in the world, so we’ve been pushing them to give alternative search engines a fair chance. And it’s paying off!
Instead of having Google or Apple choose your default settings for you, you’ll now get asked directly what you actually want to use as your search engine or browser app. With the new Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Union has qualified companies like Google and Apple as “gatekeepers”, which means their power in the market requires them to follow specific regulations. One of the ways the DMA wants to encourage a fairer internet is via choice screens.
What this means for you
You will see a choice screen if you are in the EU and you:
- Use Chrome on desktop
- Use Chrome on a Pixel device
- Are setting up a new Android device
- Use an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or newer
What this means for all of us
This is a pivotal moment! You have the power to choose the search engine and browser that align with your values, thereby contributing to our global effort to combat the climate crisis and protect our planet.
If more people choose Ecosia, we can plant more trees that capture thousands of tons of CO2 every day, protect wildlife, increase biodiversity and support communities around the world. We can produce more renewable energy that we feed back into the grid, we can continue with more green initiatives like regenerative agriculture and wildfire management and restoration. We can grow our movement and build a better world for all.
Let’s do this together and make every search count for a greener and more equitable future. Pick Ecosia, and tell your friends that their choice can have a real impact. And if you’re not in the EU, you can always go to your settings to set Ecosia as default even without the choice screen popping up.
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