European Commission issues preliminary Digital Markets Act findings requiring Google to share search data with rival engines and AI chatbots, with final decision due July 2026

The European Commission has sent preliminary findings to Google setting out proposed measures to bring the company into compliance with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — the EU regulation that designates large online platforms as 'gatekeepers' and imposes specific interoperability and data-sharing obligations. The Commission's proposal would require Google to allow third-party search engines access to its search data, including data generated by AI (artificial intelligence) chatbots with search functionalities. Google has pushed back, stating that the proposed measures raise privacy concerns and other objections. Interested parties have until 1 May 2026 to submit their views on the proposed measures, with a final decision expected in July 2026. The DMA came into force in November 2022 and its gatekeeper obligations have applied since March 2024. This is the first time the Commission has moved to specify concrete technical interoperability measures in the search market, a sector where Google holds over 90% market share across the EU. The search data sharing requirement — if finalised — would represent a structural intervention in how search index data flows across the market, with downstream implications for the commercial viability of smaller search engines and for AI-powered search products that rely on index access. Non-compliance with DMA obligations carries fines of up to 10% of annual global turnover, and up to 20% for repeat infringements.

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