Alphabet’s Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has appealed two European Union orders that would require the company to provide competing search engines with access to certain search data and help rival artificial intelligence developers use services available to its Gemini AI model.
Google argues that the measures could weaken privacy and security protections, while the European Commission has said the requirements contain safeguards for user privacy, device integrity and security.
The company filed its appeals on Monday with the General Court in Luxembourg, the European Union’s second-highest court.
EU Measures Due to Take Effect Next Year
EU antitrust regulators issued the orders in July under the Digital Markets Act.
One measure requires Google to facilitate access for competing search providers and AI developers, including companies such as OpenAI, to services available to Gemini.
A separate measure requires Google to provide rival search engines with access to certain search data.
The changes are scheduled to take effect next year, according to the supplied information.
Google’s legal challenges add to its dispute with EU regulators over the scope and implementation of requirements imposed under the Digital Markets Act.
Google Raises Privacy and Security Concerns
Google said the measures could require it to provide access to information in ways that it believes would reduce existing privacy and security protections.
“We’re appealing decisions that will force us to share people’s private search history without sufficient anonymisation and weaken vital security protections on Android,” Oliver Bethell, Google’s senior director of competition, said.
Bethell said users submit personal queries to Google Search, including questions concerning health and personal relationships, and argued that sharing such information without what the company considers adequate safeguards could cause irreversible harm to user privacy.
Google’s statements represent the company’s position in its legal challenge.
European Commission Says Measures Include Safeguards
The European Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the Digital Markets Act, has said both measures contain safeguards designed to protect user privacy, device integrity and security.
The dispute will now proceed through the EU legal process. The supplied information does not indicate when the General Court could rule on Google’s appeals.
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