Google appeals EC orders to open Android and search data to competitors
The American company Google, part of Alphabet Inc., has filed appeals with the European General Court against the European Commission's (EC) orders to open the Android operating system to third-party AI services and to provide search data to competitors, The Wall Street Journal reports.
"We are appealing decisions that would force us to disclose people's personal search histories without sufficient anonymization and would weaken crucial security protections in Android," the newspaper quotes a statement by Google's Senior Director for Competition Oliver Bethell.
In July, the EC ordered the company to open full access to Android's functionality to other AI services in order to ensure a level playing field with Gemini. The regulator stated that users must be able to activate any AI assistant of their choice on Android devices using a voice command, as is the case with Gemini, and use it to perform the tasks they need, for example to order a taxi.
In addition, the European Commission obliged Google to provide some search data to competing services, including AI assistants with a search function, in order to also ensure fairer competition.
The company must comply with the first requirement by July 2027, and with the second by January.
Failure to comply with European digital markets legislation may entail a fine of up to 10% of annual global revenue.
Source: Interfax
