The European Commission wants to push Google off its web search throne with a data sharing proposal
Odds are that you didn't just stumble across this story via the PC Gamer homepage—it's way more likely that Google had something to do with it. Maybe Google Discover served you this story, or maybe you dove into Google search in a bid to collate all of the news you can find about various government bodies attempting to challenge the search giant's crown. The European Commission is the latest to propose such measures.
Specifically, the European Commission is proposing that Google share its search data with third party search engines. The data would include "ranking, query, click and view data" and ideally be presented "on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms" according to the European Commission.
The hope is that by sharing this data, "third party online search engines, or ‘data beneficiaries', [would be able to] optimise their search services and contest Google Search's position."
These proposed measures are in a bid to comply with the Digital Markets Act, which came into effect throughout the European Union in late 2022. The act targets 'gatekeepers,' or "large digital platforms providing so-called core platform services, such as online search engines, app stores, [and] messenger services," in an attempt to regulate the multimillion dollar companies that now shape how we interact with one another and the world around us.
Teresa Ribera, the Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, explained, "Data is a key input for online search and for developing new services, including AI.
"Access to this data should not be restricted in ways that could harm competition. In fast-moving markets, small changes can quickly have a big impact. We will not allow practices that risk closing markets or limiting choice."
This isn't the first time the sharing of Google's search data with its rivals has been proposed. You'll remember that a US judge ruled that Google had violated antitrust laws back in 2024, resulting in a number of proposed remedies. These included the suggested divestment of the Chrome browser, though ultimately that did not come to pass.
In September 2025, the US Department of Justice also ordered Google to "make certain search index and user-interaction data available to rivals and potential rivals." Vice president of regulatory affairs at Google, Lee-Anne Mulholland, claimed that data sharing would "risk Americans’ privacy and discourage competitors from building their own products—ultimately stifling the innovation that keeps the US at the forefront of global technology."
So, in January of this year, Google requested to delay data sharing while it appealed the 2024 antitrust ruling.
In other words, Google has shown a lot of resistance to data sharing proposals in the past. So, what does that mean for the European Commission's latest move? That remains to be seen, as both interested parties, as well as Google, have until May 1 to submit their views on the proposed measure.
Taking all of that feedback into account, the European commission will then come to a final, binding decision that Google must then adopt by July 27. Whether that decision knocks the corporation from its search pedestal, or only gives Google a wee nudge, time can only tell.