Google flags privacy risks in EU plan to share search data with rivals like OpenAI
Google flags privacy risks in EU plan to share search data with rivals like OpenAI
Publish Date: 2026-05-06 00:18:00
Source Domain: www.storyboard18.com
Google has raised concerns with European Union regulators over a proposal that would require it to share search engine data with competitors, warning that the move could expose users’ private information, as per a Reuters report.
The warning was issued by Sergei Vassilvitskii, a senior scientist at Google, ahead of a scheduled meeting with EU antitrust officials. He is expected to present the company’s concerns and suggest alternative safeguards.
The proposal comes from the European Commission, which has in recent years tightened oversight of large technology firms to promote competition and expand user choice. As part of these efforts, regulators have asked Google to provide rival platforms access to certain search data, including ranking, query, click and view information, under fair and non-discriminatory terms.
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Google has opposed the plan, describing it as regulatory overreach that could compromise user privacy and security. The company has specifically raised concerns about how anonymised data would be handled under the proposal.
Vassilvitskii said that Google’s internal testing indicated that anonymisation methods may not be sufficient to protect users. According to him, the company’s “red team” was able to re-identify individuals in anonymised datasets within a short period of time.
He added that Google intends to work with regulators to develop stronger safeguards that would balance competition requirements with privacy protections.
The European Commission is expected to finalise its decision on the measures in the coming weeks, with a deadline set for July 27. The rules fall under the Digital Markets Act, which aims to curb the dominance of large technology companies.
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Non-compliance with the law could result in penalties of up to 10 per cent of a company’s…
