(Jan 27): Google was handed a six-month European Union deadline to lift technical barriers to rival AI search assistants on Android and give key data to other search engine providers in the latest round of its Big Tech crackdown.
EU watchdogs announced under the bloc’s flagship DMA they would review whether Google is in compliance with strict laws on making Android interoperable with competing AI software and also unlocking valuable search data — under fair terms — for rival search engines.
While the announcement is a step shy of being a formal investigation, the EU aims to pressure Google to re-engineer its services to allow rival companies to access Android’s operating system and the company’s valuable search data. The Brussels-based authority gave the company six months to comply or face the threat of future penalties.
“With today’s proceedings we want to help Google by explaining in more detail how it should comply with its interoperability and online search data sharing obligations under the Digital Markets Act,” EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement.
Clare Kelly, senior competition counsel at Google, said the US company is concerned that further rules “often driven by competitor grievances rather than the interest of consumers, will compromise user privacy, security and innovation.”
The escalation comes as Alphabet Inc’s Google separately faces upcoming penalties under the DMA over allegations it unfairly favours in-house services across its sprawling search empire and for preventing app developers from steering consumers to offers outside of its Play Store.
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The company is also being probed over concerns it unfairly demotes certain news results. The wave of EU scrutiny risks adding to its €9.5 billion EU fines tally and worsening fraught relations with the Trump administration.
Under Tuesday’s proceedings, the EU may later decide to launch a formal probe if Google doesn’t step into line. That could pave the way for potential fines as high as 10% of global annual sales — though Brussels regulators seldom levy the maximum penalties.
Uploaded by Arion Yeow
