Google Battles EU Over Search Data Sharing Requirements

Google is challenging two European Union decisions that require the company to share certain search data and services with competitors. The rulings, part of the Digital Markets Act, aim to limit the influence of large technology companies.

The EU antitrust regulators ordered Google to give search competitors access to certain data and AI developers the ability to use features available to Gemini models in July. The requirements are due to take effect next year, but Google has filed lawsuits with the EU General Court arguing that complying with them could weaken privacy and security protections for users.

Google argues that sharing private search histories without sufficient anonymization would cause 'irreparable harm' to users' privacy. Oliver Bethell, a Google spokesperson, stated, 'People use Search to ask their most personal questions, from health concerns to relationships with loved ones.'

The European Commission has said that the measures include robust safeguards to protect user privacy, device integrity, and security. DuckDuckGo, a search engine known for not tracking users' search histories or personal data, backed the regulator's position.