BRUSSELS, Belgium: Google has appealed a European Union decision requiring the company to share search data with rival search engines and make its Android system more accessible to competing artificial intelligence services.
The appeal challenges measures introduced under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to increase competition among major technology companies and provide users with more choice.
Privacy concerns
Google said the EU order could require the company to share users’ private search history without sufficient anonymisation protections.
“We’re appealing decisions that will force us to share people’s private search history without sufficient anonymisation and weaken vital security protections on Android,” Oliver Bethell, Google’s senior director for competition, said.
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The company argued that people use Google Search for highly personal queries, including health concerns and private relationships, and said sharing such information without stronger safeguards could affect user privacy.
Greater competition
The European Commission issued the order in July under the DMA, requiring Google to begin sharing search data with other search providers from January 2027.
The Commission said the measure was designed to create a more balanced digital market by allowing rival services to compete more effectively.
The EU also ordered changes to Android that are expected to take effect in July next year. Brussels said the changes could help encourage the development of alternative AI services competing with Google’s Gemini platform.
Legal challenge
Google said Android is already an open and interoperable platform and argued that the EU decision could weaken security protections for users.
The appeal has been filed with the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, where the case will now be considered.
The dispute is part of wider regulatory efforts by the EU to place additional obligations on major technology platforms and increase competition in digital markets.
