The European Commission has begun proceedings to ensure that Google complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in certain ways. Specifically, the EU’s executive branch has asked Google to grant third-party AI services the same level of access to Android that Gemini has. “The aim is to ensure that third-party providers have a level playing field to innovate and compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape on smart mobile devices,” the commission said in a statement.
The company also must hand over “anonymized ranking, query, click and view data held by Google Search” to rival search engines. The Commission says this will help competing companies adapt their services and provide more viable alternatives to Google Search.
“Today’s action under the Digital Markets Act will provide Google with guidance to ensure that third-party online search engines and AI providers have the same access to search data and the Android operating system as Google’s own services such as Google Search or Gemini,” said Hanna Virkkunen, Commission Executive Vice-President for Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. “Our goal is to keep the AI market open, unlock competition based on merit, and foster innovation for the benefit of consumers and businesses.”
The Commission plans to complete these proceedings over the next six months, effectively giving Google a deadline to get it all done. If the company does not do so to the satisfaction of the Commission, it may face formal investigation and penalties. The commission can impose fines up to 10 percent of a company’s global annual revenue for DMA violations.
Google was already in dispute with the EU for allegedly favoring its own services – such as travel, finance and shopping – over rivals and preventing Google Play app developers from easily directing consumers to alternative, cheaper ways to pay for digital goods and services. The block accused Google of DMA violations related to those issues last March.
In November, the EU launched an investigation into Google’s alleged downgrading of commercial content on news websites in search results. The following month, it launched an investigation into Google’s AI practices, including whether the company used online publishers’ content for AI observation and AI mode without offering “fair compensation” or the ability to opt out.
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