European Union wants Google to open search data to rivals

The European Commission has proposed a new regulatory package to limit Google’s dominance in the search engine space. Within the scope of this proposal, the company is requested to allow it to share its search data with rival services. The aim is to enable third-party search engines to compete with Google on more equal terms. In the first draft, it is envisaged that basic data points such as rankings, queries, clicks and views will be made accessible on fair and non-discriminatory terms.

Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s vice president for Clean, Fair and Competitive Transformation, points out that data is a critical resource for digital services. According to Ribera, search data plays a decisive role not only in improving existing services, but also in the development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. For this reason, limiting access to the data in question is considered as an element that may disrupt the competitive balance in the market. However, the Commission emphasizes that even small regulations can have big consequences, especially in fast-changing digital markets.

In recent years, the European Union has been taking steps to limit Google’s market power through the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Regulations that came into force as of March 2024 made it mandatory for technology giants to comply with certain obligations. Google also announced that it would make some changes in this process. However, in the meantime, the European Commission made preliminary accusations against the company, stating that Google Search and Play Store did not fully comply with competition rules.

Increasing pressure under the Digital Markets Act

In response to these criticisms, Google proposed some regulations regarding the display of search results. However, it appears that the European Commission is demanding more comprehensive changes. In particular, the issue of data sharing is among the priority agenda items of regulators. This approach aims to increase the competitiveness of new or smaller-scale search engines entering the market. On the other hand, it is still not clear how this type of data sharing will be implemented in technical and commercial terms.

In addition, it should be noted that the proposal has not been finalized yet. The European Commission continues to collect opinions from relevant parties until May 1. Google’s legal team is expected to submit comprehensive objections during this process. The company’s reservations about sharing data may create controversy in terms of both user privacy and trade secrets. Despite this, the regulatory body does not seem to have stepped back from its goal of increasing competition.

In addition to all this, the final decision is planned to be made by July 27. It is estimated that there will be an intense negotiation process between Google and the European Commission until this date. The resulting regulation could affect not only Google but also the functioning of the digital platform economy in general. It seems that the decisions to be taken, especially regarding data access and sharing, will directly determine both the user experience and the competitive structure of the sector.