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EU Orders Google to Share Search Data by 2027
The EU has finalized rules forcing Google to share search data with rivals and open Android to deeper AI integration on a 2027 timeline.
Image: Ars Technica
The EU has finalized new rules that will force Google to share Search data with rival providers and give non-Gemini AI assistants deeper access to Android.
Under the decision, Google must provide search data to competing search firms transparently and for a reasonable fee. The European Commission says Google’s earlier data-sharing proposals did not go far enough, and that smaller players need access to search metrics closer to what Google itself sees if they are to challenge its dominance in web search.
The rules also classify AI chatbots as search services for the purposes of data sharing, widening the scope beyond traditional search engines.
Google had pushed back before the rules were finalized, and its response remains sharply critical. Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said the company had proposed more limited measures that it believed could still meet the goals of the Digital Markets Act, but argued the Commission’s final approach goes too far.
“Today’s decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans.”
Walker also objected to the Commission’s position on Android, saying AI tools are already widely supported and that phone makers play an important role in vetting them. In Google’s view, allowing non-Gemini AI platforms deeper integration with Android could bypass existing safeguards.
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Google also says the new search data-sharing requirements could threaten user privacy. The EU’s action requires Google to anonymize the data through a multilayered approach, and the Commission has said it is open to revising the decision if needed to ensure identifiable data is handled properly. Even so, Walker described the ruling as a risk to privacy, business trade secrets, and national security.
Google now has a set timeline to work through implementation details with EU regulators:
- January 2027: Google must begin sharing search data with other companies.
- July 2027: Android must support deeper integration with AI apps.
Those deadlines could reshape both European search competition and how AI assistants plug into Android devices.
Enterprise Editor
Marcus follows the money. He covers enterprise software, cloud architecture, and the tectonic shifts in Big Tech strategy. He translates dense earnings calls and complex M&A activity into actionable insights about where the industry is actually heading. If a tech giant makes a silent pivot, Marcus is usually the first to notice.
via Ars Technica
