Why Google appealed the EU’s search-data and Android AI orders

Google has challenged two European Commission orders intended to make it easier for rival search engines and AI services to compete with Google Search and Gemini. The company says sharing search data could expose users’ private search histories and that opening Android features to rival AI services could weaken device security. It has also asked the EU General Court to suspend the search-data order while its appeal proceeds. 25

The dispute puts two concerns in tension: the Commission’s aim of making digital markets more contestable, and Google’s objections about privacy and the security of users’ devices. The measures set separate deadlines for search data and Android access in 2027.

What the two EU orders require

The Commission issued two binding specification measures under the Digital Markets Act in July 2026. One concerns Google Search data; the other concerns Android access for competing AI services.

Search data: sharing due to begin in January 2027

The search-data order requires Google to provide eligible rival search engines and AI services with anonymized search data. The Commission says the measure is intended to help competitors improve their services and compete more effectively with Google Search. OpenAI is among the AI companies named in reporting on the order. 12

Google objects that the data may not be sufficiently anonymized to protect people’s search histories. Its appeal argues that sharing the information could put European users’ privacy at risk. 25

Google has separately asked the General Court for an interim measure to suspend this search-data requirement. That request is distinct from its appeal of the orders; the reporting available here confirms the request but does not establish whether the court has ruled on it.

Android: access to 11 features due by July 2027

The second order concerns Android features available to Google’s Gemini AI service. It requires Google to make 11 features accessible to qualifying rival AI services, so they can use key Android capabilities and compete with Gemini. The Commission says users should see the changes from July 2027, in the next iteration of Android.

Google argues that extending access to device features could weaken Android’s security and device integrity. The Commission says its Android measures include privacy and security safeguards, and that rival services must meet security and privacy criteria to receive access. 4

Why the dispute matters

The Commission’s stated goal is to give competing search engines and AI services a better opportunity to compete. If the orders take effect, rivals could gain access to anonymized search data or Android capabilities that the Commission says can help them compete with Google’s services. The competitive impact remains prospective; it has not yet been demonstrated. 1

Google’s challenge raises a related question for EU enforcement: how far regulators can require a large platform to provide data or technical access to competitors while maintaining safeguards for users. The court proceedings will test the company’s objections to these particular orders; the outcome is not yet established. 2