The European Commission has taken another step in its crusade to unleash competition in the digital ecosystem. This week, Brussels ordered Google to share its valuable search data with rival engines and open Android to third-party artificial intelligence services. The measure, based on the Digital Markets Act (DMA), aims to give European users more choices against the tech giant's dominance. However, Google has responded harshly: according to Kent Walker, the company's President of Global Affairs, these demands "put the security and privacy of millions of Europeans at risk."

What exactly does the EU order imply?

The EU decision, announced on Thursday, has two main fronts. On one hand, it requires Google to provide competing search engines access to its indexing and ranking data, something the company has always zealously protected as a trade secret. On the other, it forces the Android operating system, which dominates the mobile market with over 70% share in Europe, to allow the integration of alternative AI services, such as chatbots or virtual assistants from other companies, on equal terms with Google's own (like Gemini).

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, defended the measure: "We expect to see new alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that EU users can enjoy a greater variety of services." In her statement, she added that "all developers, large and small, are welcome to explore these new opportunities, which will undoubtedly benefit users as well."

Google's response: privacy and security at stake

Kent Walker did not mince words. In an official statement, he lamented that "with these measures, Europeans' private searches are exposed to unknown companies, without proper data anonymization and without the user's knowledge or consent." For Walker, the EU is "undermining security and privacy" by forcing the opening of sensitive data without the necessary safeguards.

The company claims to have "repeatedly offered solutions to protect users while meeting the DMA's objectives," but these proposals were ignored. "These resolutions dismiss extensive evidence of harm to users," Walker said, warning that the measures "would weaken citizens' privacy, put companies' trade secrets at risk, and compromise national security."

A long-standing conflict

This is not the first time Google and Brussels have clashed. In fact, the current order is part of a long legal battle that began in 2018, when the European Commission fined Google €4.125 billion for abusing its dominant position with Android. At that time, it was determined that the company forced phone manufacturers to pre-install Chrome and Google Search as a condition for licensing the Play Store. After years of appeals, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) upheld the fine in July 2026, closing Google's last recourse.

Now, the DMA goes a step further, not only sanctioning past practices but imposing structural changes to Google's business model. For IT professionals and tech companies, this decision could redefine the search and AI landscape in Europe. As we analyzed in our article Kubernetes won the container decade. Google Agent Substrate seeks the next, Google has adapted to technological changes, but regulatory pressure could force an even deeper transformation.

Impact on businesses and developers

For companies that rely on Android or Google's search services, the EU order opens opportunities and risks. On one hand, developers will be able to integrate their own AI solutions into Android without current restrictions, which could foster innovation. However, the exposure of search data raises privacy and security concerns, especially for companies handling sensitive information. In this context, data validation and information protection become critical, as we recalled in our post You don't have a deployment problem. You have a validation problem.

Additionally, the measure could affect how companies manage their cloud infrastructures. If search data is shared with third parties, business models based on analyzing this data will need to be reconsidered. For example, in Advanced solutions in Microsoft Azure: A success story in enterprise digital transformation, we saw how the cloud enables scaling AI services, but the new regulation may require a more open and transparent approach.

Where is privacy heading in Europe?

The DMA is presented as a tool to balance the power of tech giants, but Google warns that without proper safeguards, the remedy could be worse than the disease. The company insists that its search algorithms and AI systems are designed to protect user privacy, and sharing them raw with competitors could expose behavior patterns and personal data.

Meanwhile, the EU trusts that openness will generate a more diverse and competitive ecosystem. For companies working with data and AI technologies, such as those managing CRM or management systems, the key will be adapting to an environment where interoperability and transparency become the norm. In CRM for Workshops and SAT: Work orders, parts stock, and customer portal, we explored how data management is fundamental in any sector, and the new regulation only reinforces the need for robust and secure systems.

The debate is set: is the DMA a step toward a freer internet or an open door to privacy vulnerabilities? What is certain is that, as Ramón López de Mántaras points out in 'Generative AI is an energy and cognitive dead end', artificial intelligence poses not only technical challenges but also ethical and regulatory ones that society must resolve.

Original source: ComputerWorld. Analysis and adaptation by ForgeNEX.