The European Commission sent preliminary findings to Google on Thursday (April 16), formally proposing to require Google to open its search data to third-party search engines in accordance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to promote fair competition in the online search market.
Scope and objects of data openness
According to the measures proposed by the European Union, Google must share its core search data with third-party search engines under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. These data mainly include: ranking data (ranking), query data (query), click data (click) and browsing data (view).
It is worth noting that these regulations also apply to artificial intelligence chatbots with search functions, which means that AI search tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT search and Microsoft Bing will also be eligible to apply for access to Google’s search data.
EU Intent: Break the Search Market Monopoly
"Data is a key input for online searches and the development of new services, including artificial intelligence. Access to this data should not be subject to restrictions that could harm competition," European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said in a statement.
The Commission's goal is to truly challenge Google Search's dominance in the market by allowing third-party online search engines to optimize their services. Currently, Google occupies about 90% of the global search engine market and is one of the "gatekeeper" companies recognized by the EU's Digital Markets Act.
Google responds toughly: Firmly defending user privacy
Google expressed strong opposition to the proposal. Claire Kelly, Google's senior competition counsel, responded that the company would "vigorously defend itself against this overreach."
She pointed out: "Hundreds of millions of Europeans trust Google with their most sensitive search queries about health, home and finance. The Commission's proposals will force us to hand over this data to third parties with dangerously ineffective privacy protection mechanisms."
Timeline and Legal Consequences
According to the timetable published by the European Union:
Public consultation period: now until May 1
Final ruling: Binding decision expected by July 27
If Google ultimately fails to comply with the DMA regulations, it will face huge fines of up to 10% of global annual revenue. Since 2017, Google has been fined more than 9.7 billion euros (approximately $11.4 billion) in Europe for various antitrust violations.