The EU has launched proceedings against Google to ensure fair competition under the Digital Markets Act. Focusing on AI interoperability and search data access for rivals, Brussels aims to prevent Google’s services from having an unfair advantage. Google, however, raises concerns about user privacy and innovation being compromised by these new rules.
The European Commission has opened two specification proceedings to help Google comply with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on AI interoperability and search data access for rival platforms. The proceedings will guide Google on granting third-party AI service providers equal access to features on its Android operating system that its own services like Gemini currently enjoy. Brussels also wants clarity on how competing search engines can access anonymised ranking, query, click and view data from Google Search on fair terms.
DMA violations can attract fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s global turnover. Google was designated a gatekeeper under the DMA in September 2023 across multiple services including Search, Android, Chrome, YouTube and Google Play. The company has been required to comply with all applicable DMA obligations since March 2024.
Clare Kelly, the company’s Senior Competition Counsel, said Android is already open by design and that search data is being licensed to competitors under the DMA. Google expressed reservations about the move. The Commission expects to wrap up proceedings within six months, during which it will share preliminary findings with Google and publish non-confidential summaries for third-party comments. These proceedings are not formal investigations and do not take a position on whether Google has violated the DMA. However, if the Commission remains unsatisfied with Google’s compliance efforts, it can later conclude that the company is in breach of the rules.