EU forces Google to share search data and open up Android for AI

The European Union has finalized rules requiring Google to share its search data with competing search engines and to open up the Android platform for third-party artificial intelligence applications. The measures, part of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), aim to weaken Google's dominant position in the search market.

Under the new regulations, Google must provide search data to other companies transparently and for a reasonable fee. The data must be anonymized using a multilayered approach, and the Commission has said it is willing to adjust the decision to ensure personally identifiable information is properly protected. AI chatbots are now classified as search services for the purpose of data sharing.

Google has strongly opposed the decision. Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, argued that the chosen approach goes too far and will harm users. He claimed that the rules could undermine privacy and security safeguards for millions of Europeans, as well as endanger business trade secrets and even national security. Google had previously proposed more moderate solutions that it believed could satisfy the DMA's goals, but the Commission rejected them.

The compliance timeline is staggered. Google must be ready to start sharing search data by January 2027, while the Android platform updates for deeper AI app integration must be completed by July 2027.