The European Union has ordered Google to share key search data with rival search engines and open its Android operating system to competing artificial intelligence services, in a move aimed at boosting competition under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Announcing the measures on Thursday, the European Commission said Google must begin sharing search data with competitors from January 2027, while Android users should start benefiting from greater access to rival AI services by July 2027.
EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, said the changes are intended to encourage competition and give consumers more choice.
“Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services,” she said.
The Commission said Android users should be able to select and activate their preferred AI assistants through voice commands, rather than being limited to Google’s default services. It added that sharing anonymised search data would help create a more level playing field for competing search providers.
Google, however, criticised the decision, warning that the measures could compromise user privacy, device security and national security. Kent Walker, the company’s President of Global Affairs, argued that sharing search data could expose users’ private searches to third parties without adequate safeguards or consent.
EU officials rejected those concerns, insisting that privacy and security had been fully considered and that any shared search data would be anonymised.
The order is legally binding and follows a procedure launched in January under the DMA, although it is separate from any formal antitrust investigation that could result in financial penalties.
Meanwhile, Google could face additional sanctions as the EU is reportedly expected to decide next week on a separate DMA investigation. Under the law, companies found to have breached the rules can be fined up to 10 percent of their global annual turnover. Google has already been fined billions of euros by the EU in previous competition and antitrust cases.
