Google Takes EU to Court Over Orders to Share Search Data and Open Android to AI Rivals

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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Google has filed legal challenges against two European Commission orders requiring it to share search data with competitors and open Android to rival AI assistants. The tech giant argues these Digital Markets Act mandates would expose sensitive user information and weaken security protections, despite the EU's assurances of robust privacy safeguards.

Google Files Legal Challenges Against EU Orders

Google has escalated its clash with EU regulators by filing appeals against two orders issued under the Digital Markets Act that would force the company to share search data with rivals and open up Android to AI rivals

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. The legal challenges were submitted to the General Court in Luxembourg on Monday, marking a significant pushback against regulatory compliance measures designed to increase AI competition in Europe

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Source: Market Screener

Source: Market Screener

The European Commission issued both orders in July under the Digital Markets Act, the EU's rulebook aimed at reining in Big Tech and promoting competition. These orders are not fines but detailed compliance requirements that Google must follow

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. Google's senior director of competition, Oliver Bethell, stated the company is "appealing decisions that will force us to share people's private search history without sufficient anonymization and weaken vital security protections on Android"

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Search Data Sharing Requirements and Privacy Concerns

Starting in January 2027, Google must share anonymized search data with competing search engines, including AI chatbots and search engine rivals

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. The data must include information about what people search for and click on, shared fairly among competitors without personal details

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. Google argues this requirement would expose sensitive user queries without adequate anonymization, user awareness, or consent

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"People use Search for their most personal questions -- from medical worries to close relationships -- and mandating we share these personal queries without adequate safeguards would cause irreversible harm to user privacy," Bethell emphasized

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. The company contends the EU decision forces it to hand over private search data to commercial entities without meaningful protections for data privacy

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The European Commission maintains that both decisions contain robust safeguards protecting user privacy, device integrity, and security

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. The anonymization measures were designed in consultation with privacy experts, and Google has the option to refuse providing data to any company posing serious threats to security or privacy

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Android Opens to AI Assistants Like OpenAI

The first order focuses on opening Android to rival AI assistants, requiring Google to provide the same access to 11 Android features that Gemini currently enjoys

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. By August 2027, competing AI assistants must have access to features including voice activation and the ability to perform actions within apps

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. Within 12 months of the July decision, Google must let users activate their preferred AI assistant with voice commands, potentially allowing services like ChatGPT to be set as the default assistant on Android

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Google counters that Android is already open and interoperable, and argues the EU decision would weaken vital security protections on the platform

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. The company believes both EU orders are too extreme and could compromise the security architecture that protects Android users

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Source: The Next Web

Source: The Next Web

DuckDuckGo Backs Regulators, Deadlines Remain

DuckDuckGo, a US-based internet privacy company known for its search engine that does not track users' search history or personal data, backed the European Commission's position

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. "The anonymization framework is robust and no amount of manufactured doubt changes that. The only thing an appeal buys Google is time," a DuckDuckGo spokesperson said

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Under EU law, filing court challenges does not automatically suspend European Commission decisions, meaning the 2027 deadlines remain in effect unless the court rules otherwise

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. This legal battle will test the boundaries of regulatory compliance under the Digital Markets Act and could set precedents for how tech giants must balance competition requirements with user privacy and security considerations. The outcome will significantly impact how AI assistants and search engine rivals access sensitive personal data and integrate with dominant platforms like Android.

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