Google fights EU order to hand search data to AI rivals

Google has asked the EU's General Court in Luxembourg to pause a regulatory order that would force it to share anonymised search data, including rankings, queries, clicks and views, with rival search engines and AI chatbots. The order, issued under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), is meant to help AI systems like ChatGPT and Claude compete with Google Search using the same raw signals Google relies on. If it survives Google's challenge, it could reshape which AI platforms answer questions well, and where brands need to focus their visibility efforts.

What changed?

On 16 July 2026, the European Commission issued two binding measures against Google under the DMA. One, under Article 6(11), requires Google to share anonymised ranking, query, click and view data from Search with rival search engines and AI chatbot providers, on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, according to FourWeekMBA. The other, under Article 6(7), requires Android to give third-party AI assistants access to the same 11 hardware and software features currently reserved for Google's own Gemini.

A week later, on 23 July, the Commission added a separate blow: a 890 million euro fine against Google over self-preferencing in Search and steering on Google Play, as reported by Cybernews.

Google isn't accepting either order quietly. It has asked the Luxembourg General Court, Europe's second-highest court, to suspend the data-sharing order while its wider legal challenge plays out, according to Investing.com. A Google spokesperson said: "Interim measures are for cases that pose a risk of serious harm. That's the case in 6(11), which, as we have said, risks serious harm to the privacy of European users," per Euronext. The Commission disagrees, saying the measure includes robust privacy safeguards, including anonymisation, alongside opening up competition.

This is still an active story. Keywords Everywhere's AI Overviews tracker flagged on 15 October that Google's suspension request is the latest confirmed development, with Reuters first reporting the filing on 30 September.

Why does this matter for your business?

If the order holds, Google would have to start handing over its search data on a strict timetable. According to Tech Times, Google would be required to start sharing data with eligible search engine providers by January 2027, with Android changes expected to benefit users by July 2027.

That matters for AI visibility because it changes the playing field between platforms. Right now, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other assistants largely build their understanding of "what's relevant" from their own crawls and training data. If they gain access to Google's actual ranking, click and query signals, in anonymised form, those assistants could start making recommendations that look more like Google's own view of the web, narrowing some of the gaps that currently exist between platforms.

That gap is real and well documented. The Commission, which also acts as the EU's competition enforcer, ordered Google in July to share its search data so rivals, particularly AI chatbots, can compete with Search and give businesses and users more choice, per Global Banking and Finance. Separate research this month from Semrush found that ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's own AI surfaces frequently disagree on which brands and sources to mention, especially in the UK. A future where a rival chatbot can draw on Google-grade click and query data could close some of that disagreement, or it could simply give more platforms their own distinct view of who deserves to be cited, depending on how they use the data.

Either way, founders and marketing leaders should read this as a signal that the AI search landscape is still being actively rewired at a regulatory level, not just a product level. Decisions made in a Luxembourg courtroom could quietly influence which assistant your customers ask, and what that assistant says about you.

How does this compare with the US case?

The EU order isn't happening in isolation. A near-identical fight has already played out in the United States, and it offers a preview of how slowly this kind of dispute can move. US District Judge Amit Mehta ordered Google to share portions of its search index and click-and-query data with qualified competitors in September 2025. Google appealed in January 2026, and implementation is likely delayed for years through the US appellate process, according to Tech Times.

The EU's approach is structurally different, and potentially faster. Its ex-ante regulatory framework under the DMA sets obligations in advance and enforces them on months-long timelines, rather than waiting for post-violation findings. That difference in pace is precisely what Google's Luxembourg appeal is trying to erode.

Even so, nobody should expect a quick resolution. The case now proceeds through the EU General Court in Luxembourg, a process that, in complex technology matters, typically runs two to four years. The interim measure Google has requested is a separate, narrower question: whether the compliance clock should be paused while that years-long process plays out. To pause the clock, Google must show urgent, irreversible harm, a bar that courts grant sparingly.

What should you do now?

Nothing about this changes your day-to-day AI visibility work immediately. The January 2027 deadline is still months away, and Google's interim measure could delay it further. But there are two sensible moves worth making now.

First, keep treating each AI platform as its own distinct audience rather than assuming good Google rankings automatically translate into good ChatGPT or Gemini answers. That gap exists today regardless of how the EU case resolves, and this ruling, if it ever takes effect, would only shift the gap rather than close it overnight.

Second, build the habit of checking how your brand actually appears across platforms, rather than guessing. Regulatory shifts like this one are exactly the kind of event that can quietly reshuffle which sources an assistant trusts, so it's worth having a baseline. Running a free audit with Sited at https://sited.online gives you that starting point, so you can see where you already show up and where you don't before the next platform shake-up arrives.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is Google being ordered to share?

Under DMA Article 6(11), Google must share anonymised ranking, query, click and view data from Search with rival search engines and AI chatbot providers, on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. This covers the underlying signals Google uses to decide what's relevant, not individual users' personal search histories.

Why is Google fighting the order?

Google argues the order threatens user privacy, saying it risks undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans. Critics note Google also stands to lose a significant competitive advantage if rivals get the same raw material it uses to power Search.

When would this actually take effect?

If upheld, Google would need to start sharing its search data with eligible search engine providers by January 2027, with Android changes expected to benefit users by July 2027. Google's interim measure request, if granted, would pause that timeline while the wider legal challenge is heard.

Has anything like this happened before?

Yes. A US judge ordered Google to share portions of its search index and click-and-query data with qualified competitors in September 2025, but Google's appeal filed in January 2026 has likely delayed implementation for years. The EU case follows a similar pattern of order, appeal and delay.

Does this affect how my brand shows up in ChatGPT today?

Not yet. The order hasn't taken effect, and even if it survives Google's challenge, the earliest compliance date is January 2027. In the meantime, differences between how Google, ChatGPT and Gemini surface brands remain driven by each platform's own data and crawling, not shared signals.