Google cites privacy risks as EU prepares stricter tech regulations

Google is pushing back against upcoming European Union regulations designed to limit its market power, arguing that the proposed rules would compromise user security and privacy rather than protect them.

The European Commission is set to unveil fresh restrictions on the search giant's operations next month. While aimed at leveling the playing field for competitors, Google contends the measures could expose EU users to serious risks—a framing that recharacterizes regulatory pressure as a privacy problem.

Android AI and system access concerns#

The first thrust of the EU proposal would end Gemini's exclusive integration into Android. Under the new rules, users could install and authorize third-party AI assistants with deep system privileges similar to Gemini's—granting them access to files, screen content, and voice controls.

Heather Adkins, Google's VP of security engineering, warned in an interview with Wired that this flexibility could become a vector for abuse. She suggested that malicious actors could disguise harmful services as legitimate AI tools, giving them a foothold to pilfer user information and distort how the system functions. Adkins indicated such problems could materialize within weeks of implementation.

Search data sharing demands#

The second regulatory push targets Google's competitive moat: its proprietary search insights. The EU's draft proposal would require Google to furnish competitors with anonymized search data—encompassing actual query content, ranking logic, and user click patterns—at a level of detail never previously disclosed.

This dataset represents the essence of Google's search dominance and gives the company its algorithmic edge. Sharing it with rivals at the granularity the EU envisions would fundamentally alter the competitive landscape Google has built.