EU orders Google to share search data with rivals, broaden Android feature access

The European Union today directed Google LLC to change some of its business practices in the search and mobile markets.

Officials outlined the required changes in two documents known as binding specification measures. The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, issued the orders under a piece of legislation called the DMA. It’s designed to prevent tech giants from engaging in anticompetitive practices.

Google tracks how consumers interact with its search engine and uses the data to refine results pages. For example, it might boost the ranking of a manufacturer’s website if users frequently click on it when performing product research. The data that Google collects about consumer search habits is the first focus of the EU’s regulatory action.

Officials have ordered the Alphabet Inc. unit to share its search data with rivals. According to the EU, the goal is to make it easier for other companies to compete in the search engine market. Officials envision Google competitors using the data to enhance the quality of their query results.

Google may only share the data with companies that operate search engines or chatbots with search features. Furthermore, those companies can use the information for the sole purpose of enhancing their search services. The data may not be used for unrelated tasks such as ad personalization.

Google will have to anonymize the information before sending it to third parties. In particular, the company must remove personal data using a “multi-layered” method specified by the EU. Google will undergo an annual audit designed to ensure that it applies the method effectively.

The second order that the EU issued today focuses on Android. Currently, the Android version of Google’s Gemini AI assistant uses several operating system features that aren’t accessible to competing apps. The EU has instructed the company to make those capabilities available to rivals.

The changes will enable users to activate third-party AI assistants with their voice. Additionally, the order is expected to facilitate the development of more advanced automation features. AI assistants will be capable of taking actions in other apps on the user’s behalf.

The EU has ordered Google to update its search engine by year’s end, while the Android changes must be implemented by next June. The Alphabet unit pushed back against the directive in a blog post. 

“Today’s decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans,” stated Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet. “We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA’s goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm.”

The development comes as the EU reportedly prepares to fine Google hundreds of millions of euros for breaching the DMA. The antitrust action is related to two recently concluded competition probes. One determined that Google placed unnecessary restrictions on Android developers’ ability to promote their apps. The other probe found that the company prioritized its own services over rivals in search results.

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