A new fight is brewing in Europe, and this time it’s all about data — the kind people type into search bars every day. The European Commission has come up with a proposal that could force Google to open up its search data to competitors, including AI-powered search tools.

Yeah, not small stuff.

The idea comes under the Digital Markets Act, a rulebook designed to keep big tech in check. Regulators basically want smaller search engines — and even AI chatbots with search features — to get access to Google’s data so they can actually compete, instead of just chasing behind.

But Google isn’t having it.

A senior company lawyer called the proposal an overreach, warning it could put user privacy at risk. The argument is simple: people trust Google with deeply personal searches — health worries, money issues, family stuff — and handing that data to third parties, even in anonymised form, could open the door to misuse.

The Commission, though, says safeguards will be in place. According to their plan, any shared data would need to be anonymised, with clear rules on how often it’s shared, who gets access, and even how pricing would work for that access. The bigger goal? Break Google’s dominance and give rivals a real shot.

And this isn’t coming out of nowhere.

Google has already been under pressure in Europe for years. Since 2017, the company has been hit with nearly €10 billion in fines over competition issues. In fact, regulators formally charged Google in 2025 for not fully complying with the same Digital Markets Act.

Google did try to offer its own fixes earlier, but competitors weren’t impressed. Many said those changes didn’t go far enough to level the playing field.

Now the EU is stepping in harder.

There’s still time before anything becomes final. Interested parties can weigh in until May 1, and a final decision is expected in July. So things could still shift a bit — or escalate further.

What makes this one interesting is the timing. With AI search tools growing fast, access to real search data is becoming more valuable than ever. If this proposal goes through, it could change how search works across Europe — not just for Google, but for the entire AI-driven web.

For now, it’s a standoff. Regulators want fairness. Google says it’s protecting users.

And somewhere in between… the future of search is being argued out.