Google will have to share more of its Search data with rivals according to two new EU regulations set in place this week, potentially changing the future of Google’s offerings like Gemini, Search, and Android, as regulators set out to make competition more fair for Google’s rivals within the region. This announcement comes at the same time as Google’s agreement with Epic Games to withdraw their settlement and simply move ahead with allowing rival marketplaces on the Play Store. These changes pave the way for some potentially big shifts within Google’s businesses and ecosystems.
With regard to the new decisions made by the European Commission this week, Google will be required to share more Search data with rivals, as there is certain data that only Google Search “can collect at scale,” the Commission says. Additionally, Google will also be required to give equal access to features on its Android devices to rival AI systems, so that they can enjoy the same feature access that Gemini has.
Google will need to start sharing Search data with rivals in January, says EU
Not only has the European Commission ruled that Google will have to share Search data with competitors, but it has set the time limit to do so for January 2027. Giving Google about six months to begin this process. Since January 2027 is the cutoff date, Google is allowed to start sharing data before then.
As for opening access to features on Android for rival AI tools, Google mus comply with this change by July 2027, which is when the Commission says that uses will begin to benefit. For the latter, once Google begins sharing great feature access with other AI assistants, users could end up being able to choose which assistant they want as a deeply integrated tool. Instead of being forced to use Gemini. Google, of course, has argued that the EU’s decision “undercuts security and privacy for Europeans.”
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