EU wants Google to share search data<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe deadline for Google to find out if the EU is going to force it to hand over search data, even data created by AI chatbots, is July.<\/p>\n
Thursday’s proposal from the European Commission is the most concrete step yet toward breaking Google’s dominance in the search world with the use of the Digital Markets Act.<\/p>\n
What is the EU actually proposing?<\/h2>\n
The Commission’s proposal covers the scope, frequency and technical means by which Google will share search data with third-party engines, referred to in the document as “data beneficiaries”. <\/p>\n
It also sets out anonymization requirements, access governance procedures, and a pricing framework for data transfer.<\/p>\n
Critically, the proposal extends to AI chatbots with search functionality, a direct indication that regulators view the larger language model-based search as part of the same competitive landscape, and not as a separate product category.<\/p>\n
However, Google is not backing down. Google competition lawyer Claire E. Kelly weighed in on Thursday, saying the proposal would require sharing sensitive user questions like health, financial and family concerns with third-party companies with dangerously ineffective privacy protections.<\/p>\n
Google has presented some of its own proposals to appease its rivals and EU officials; However, competing search engines believe that they are not doing enough to make significant changes. Google was accused of violating the Digital Markets Act in March 2025.<\/p>\n
Controversy does not arise out of thin air. In the last five years alone, Google has been fined \u20ac9.71 billion, or about $11.43 billion, for violating various European antitrust laws. The matter is even more serious, as a fine of 10 percent of the annual global income can be imposed for violation of the Digital Markets Act.<\/p>\n
Interested stakeholders will be able to comment until May 1 and the Commission will announce its decision in July.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n