Finance
Google Should Allow Third-Party Search Engines Access to Data, EU Says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 16, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 16, 2026
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The European Commission has issued preliminary findings under the Digital Markets Act, proposing that Google grant anonymized search data access to third-party search engines and AI chatbots on fair, reasonable, and non‑discriminatory terms. Stakeholders have until May 1 to comment, with the EU aimi
Google should allow third-party search engines access to data, EU says
European Commission Proposes New Rules for Google Search Data Access
Background and Proposal Details
BRUSSELS, April 16 (Reuters) - The European Commission has proposed that Google allow third-party search engines to access its search data, including that of artificial intelligence chatbots with search functionalities, to comply with the Digital Markets Act, the commission said on Thursday.
Google's Response to the Proposal
Privacy Concerns Raised by Google
Clare Kelly, Google's senior competition counsel, said the tech giant would fight against the measures, which it said overreached and would jeopardise users' privacy.
"Hundreds of millions of Europeans trust Google with their most sensitive searches - including private questions about their health, family, and finances - and the Commission's proposal would force us to hand this data over to third parties, with dangerously ineffective privacy protections," she said in a statement.
Scope and Implementation of the Proposed Measures
Requirements for Data Sharing
The EU's proposed measures cover the scope, means and frequency of the search data Google must share, measures to ensure personal data is made anonymous, processes governing beneficiaries' access to search data and parameters for setting prices for search data, the commission said.
Objective of the Measures
"The aim of the measures is to allow third party online search engines, or 'data beneficiaries', to optimise their search services and contest Google Search's position," the commission said.
Next Steps and Industry Reactions
Consultation and Decision Timeline
Interested parties have until May 1 to submit their views on the proposed measures, with a final decision to be made in July.
Google's Previous Regulatory Challenges
Antitrust Charges and Fines
Google, the world's most popular search engine, was charged in March 2025 with breaching the Digital Markets Act. It has made its own proposals to mollify rivals and EU regulators, but rivals have complained the measures were insufficient.
Google has racked up 9.71 billion euros ($11.43 billion) in fines since 2017 over various antitrust infringements in Europe. Fines for Digital Markets Act breaches can amount to up to 10% of a company's global annual revenue.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.8493 euros)
(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Makini Brice, Ros Russell and Hugh Lawson)
Key Takeaways
- •Under Article 6(11) of the DMA, Google must share anonymized ranking, query, click and view data with third‑party search providers under FRAND terms (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu).
- •The Commission also seeks third‑party AI services to have equally effective access to Android and Gemini AI features (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu).
- •The DMA entered into force in November 2022, and from March 2024 Google, designated as a gatekeeper, has been required to license anonymized search data to eligible search engines (en.wikipedia.org).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Google should allow third-party search engines access to data, EU says
1What has the EU Commission asked Google to do?
The EU Commission has asked Google to allow third-party search engines access to its search data, including data from AI chatbots with search functionalities.
2Why is the EU investigating Google?
The EU is investigating Google for allegedly breaching the Digital Markets Act by not providing sufficient access to its search data for rivals.
3When will the EU make a final decision on Google's compliance?
Interested parties have until May 1 to submit their views, and a final decision is expected in July.
4What measures has Google proposed to comply with the Digital Markets Act?
Google has proposed its own measures to address EU concerns, but rivals argue these are insufficient.
