EU Orders Google to Share Search Data Under Digital Markets Act

The European Union's Digital Markets Act has taken another step forward as Google has been ordered to share anonymized search data with rival search engines. The ruling also requires better interoperability for companies using the Google Android operating system.

Under the act, competitors of artificial intelligence (AI) services will have access to features on Google's Android devices by January 2027. This includes AI chatbots with search features, which are eligible for shared data.

Google will be required to anonymize and provide the same data it uses for its services to others. The EU Commission has developed guidelines for data sharing in collaboration with privacy experts, aligning with the draft Joint Guidelines of the DMA and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The ruling also allows Google to evaluate whether sharing data with a specific third party poses serious cybersecurity and data protection risks.