The European Commission issued two binding orders to Google on Thursday under the Digital Markets Act, requiring the tech giant to share its anonymised search data with rival companies including OpenAI by January 2027 and to open 11 key Android features currently exclusive to its Gemini AI assistant to competing services by July 2027.
The search data order targets the vast trove of user behaviour information Google uses to refine its results, which no competitor can match. Google must share anonymised click and query data with approved rivals subject to security and privacy screening. The Android order will allow users to activate third-party AI assistants via voice commands, in the same way they currently say “hey Google,” and enable rival assistants to take actions across apps, such as booking taxis or searching for local information.
EU Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen said the measures would let emerging alternatives to Google Search and Gemini develop and give EU users a more diverse range of services.
Google Chief Legal Officer Kent Walker pushed back strongly, warning the orders risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans, exposing private searches to unfamiliar companies and potentially endangering national security.
The orders are the latest in a string of DMA enforcement actions. Brussels has also forced Apple to add interoperability features and demanded Meta dismantle infinite scrolling and other addictive design choices.
