Google takes EU to court over order to share search data and Android access

Google has filed an appeal against the EU decision requiring it to share data with other search engines and open up its Android system to rival AI services, with the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union. — AFP pic

First Published: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2026 4:32 PM MYT

BRUSSELS, Sept 29 — Google said Tuesday it has appealed an EU decision requiring it to share data with other search engines and open up its Android system to rival AI services, citing privacy concerns.

Brussels issued the order in July under the European Union’s flagship Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces the world’s biggest tech firms to open up to competition in a bid to give users more choice.

“We’re appealing decisions that will force us to share people’s private search history without sufficient anonymisation and weaken vital security protections on Android,” said Oliver Bethell, Google’s senior director for competition.

In July, the European Commission said Google must start sharing search data from January 2027 to “rebalance the playing field”.

Changes to Android should kick in in July next year, and Brussels said it hoped they would lead to the emergence of alternatives to Google’s AI services, such as Gemini.

But Google countered that Android is already open and interoperable and the EU decision forced it to hand over private search data to other firms without adequate anonymisation, user knowledge or consent.

“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,” said Bethell.

The appeal was filed with the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union. — AFP