The European Union is moving to tighten enforcement of its Digital Markets Act as it concerns Google’s dominance in AI and search, with the European Commission saying Tuesday it is stepping in to make sure rival AI companies and search engines can access Google-run services and data on comparable terms.
In a statement described by the European Commission, officials said they are opening so-called “ specification proceedings ” aimed at specifying how Google must comply with requirements in the bloc’s flagship digital rulebook. The Commission framed the step as a way to ensure that Google gives smaller players equal access to hardware and software features, as the Digital Markets Act requires, rather than leaving compliance as an open-ended question.
Commission officials said the proceedings will include setting requirements for access to Gemini AI services and related data. The Commission said part of the process will spell out how Google should give third-party AI companies “equally effective access to the same features” that are available through Google’s own services.
The Commission also said it will examine how competing search engines can access Google Search data, describing the assessment as part of the same proceedings. Officials said the scope would include whether AI chatbot providers are eligible to access that data.
The European Commission said the proceedings are intended to lead to draft measures, and it said they “fall short of an investigation,” with the process due to conclude within six months. Under that timeline, Brussels said it will impose the measures it drafts on Google after the proceedings.
Teresa Ribera, the executive vice president of the European Commission who oversees competition policy, said the action seeks to “maximize the potential and the benefits of this profound technological shift by making sure the playing field is open and fair, not tilted in favor of the largest few.”
Google, through Clare Kelly, its senior competition counsel, said it was concerned about the reasons behind the procedure. In a statement, Kelly said: “Android is open by design, and we’re already licensing Search data to competitors under the DMA,” adding that “we are concerned that further rules which are often driven by competitor grievances rather than the interest of consumers, will compromise user privacy, security, and innovation.”
The Commission’s step adds another layer of EU scrutiny for Google, which regulators have been examining over whether the company gained an unfair advantage by using online content for its AI models and services.