EU Orders Google to Open Search and Android to Rivals Under Digital Markets Act

The European Union has ordered Google to begin sharing search data with competing search engines and open its Android operating system to rival artificial intelligence services, according to EuroNews.

The legally binding measures, adopted under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), are intended to boost competition in the digital market by giving consumers greater choice and reducing the dominance of major technology platforms.

New Rules for Search and Android

According to EuroNews, Google will be required to start sharing anonymised search data with competing search providers from January 2027, while changes allowing greater competition on Android devices must begin rolling out from July 2027.

The European Commission also wants Android users to be able to choose their preferred AI assistant for voice commands instead of relying solely on Google’s services, including Gemini.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said the measures are designed to encourage alternatives to Google Search and Google’s AI products, ultimately expanding consumer choice across the European Union.

Google Raises Privacy Concerns

Google criticised the decision, arguing that mandatory data sharing could create significant risks for user privacy, device security and national security.

Kent Walker, the company’s President of Global Affairs, said that sharing search information with rival companies could expose users’ private searches despite anonymisation safeguards.

According to EuroNews, European officials maintain that the rules include strict anonymisation requirements and that privacy, security and data integrity were key considerations in the decision.

Further Regulatory Action Possible

The order follows proceedings launched under the Digital Markets Act in January and is separate from an ongoing investigation that could result in financial penalties.

According to EuroNews, Google could face additional enforcement action under the DMA as early as next week.

The legislation allows the European Union to impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global annual turnover for non-compliance.

Google has already faced substantial EU competition penalties in recent years, including €8.2 billion in fines issued between 2017 and 2019 under previous antitrust cases, followed by another €2.95 billion fine in a separate competition ruling last year.

Photo: GBM.com