EU orders Google to share search data and open Android

The European Union issued two new rules for Google that require the company to share search data and give rival AI companies greater access to Android. Brussels said the measures are intended to support innovation and diversity by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines, creating more room for alternatives to Google Search and Gemini.

The European Commission said AI agents not made by Google could not function on Android phones at the same level as Gemini. Google must allow voice activation for alternative AI agents and let them run background tasks such as booking restaurants through third-party apps. By January 2027, it must begin sharing anonymised search data with some competitors, a step regulators said is needed because Google controls a vast trove of user data that rivals cannot match.

Kent Walker, president of global affairs for Google and Alphabet, warned that the rules could expose Europeans’ private searches to unfamiliar companies without adequate anonymisation, user knowledge or consent. He said the changes could weaken privacy, risk business trade secrets and endanger national security. The move extends Brussels’ broader campaign to check tech gatekeepers, including actions involving Apple and Meta.