LONDON — Google has always made its Android mobile operating system available free as a way of getting its search engine, web browser and other applications on as many devices as possible to collect data about users and to sell advertising.

But on Tuesday, in response to a European antitrust ruling this year, the company said it would for the first time begin charging handset manufacturers to install Gmail, Google Maps and other popular applications for Android in the European Union.

The new arrangement is the latest sign that global technology companies are adjusting their business practices in Europe to account for stiffer regulations there.

Online privacy regulations adopted in May have forced companies doing business in Europe to add new data-protection policies that restrict how people are tracked across the internet. Germany has enacted tough laws to prevent the spread of hate speech and misinformation that require Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to take down objectionable content or risk fines, a strategy that other countries in the region are considering. A copyright law being negotiated in the European Union would also limit what articles and videos a website could post online without a license.