The EU’s mandates for Google Search could have more wide-ranging implications. Google will be forced to share search data with competing search providers, giving them a better chance of gaining market share and loosening Google’s iron grip on web search. The Commission alleges this action was necessary because Google’s past sharing offers have not gone far enough.
Under the new rules, Google will have to provide data to other search firms transparently and for a reasonable fee. Google will also have to treat AI chatbots as search services for the purposes of data sharing. The goal is for other companies to get access to search metrics similar to what Google itself sees, which EU regulators claim is essential for a smaller player to challenge Google’s dominance.
Google calls for “balance”
Google was vocally opposed to the EU’s new rules before they were finalized, and the company is not mincing words now that they’re final. Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, claims Google offered more measured solutions that it believed could satisfy the DMA’s goals, but the path chosen by the European Commission goes too far and will harm users.
“Today’s decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans,” said Walker.
Walker objects to the Commission’s position that AI assistants need greater access to Android. He claims that AI tools are widely supported, with phone makers playing a key role in vetting them. Granting non-Gemini AI platforms deeper integration with Android could circumvent safeguards, he said.
Similarly, Google contends that sharing search data as the EU now demands will risk user privacy. The DMA action calls on Google to anonymize data using a multilayered approach, and the Commission is open to amending its decision to ensure identifiable data is appropriately handled. Google acknowledges that regulators are open to adjusting the rules, but Walker still characterizes this ruling as a threat to privacy, business trade secrets, and even national security.
Google will have some time to hash out the specifics with EU regulators. The company must be ready to start sharing search data with other companies in January 2027. The Android platform must be updated for deeper integration with AI apps by July 2027.
