---
title: "Google appeals the EU order to share search data with rivals"
url: https://seomadman.com/news/google-appeals-dma-search-data-sharing
section: news
language: en
published: 2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z
author: Adam Hafez
topics: ["SERP features", "AI search"]
---

# Google appeals the EU order to share search data with rivals

## The short answer

Google appealed two European Commission DMA decisions at the EU General Court, one requiring it to share search data with rivals and one on Android. Google says the data order lacks sufficient anonymization. Nick Fox, who runs Search, says Europe's Search is degraded and that Google pulled back spam protections there.

## Key takeaways

- Google said on 29 September 2026 that it is appealing the Commission's decisions on search data sharing and on Android at the EU General Court.
- The Commission page says Google must share anonymised ranking, query, click and view data with eligible search engines on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
- Search Engine Roundtable reports a January 2027 deadline for sharing search data and a July 2027 deadline for the Android changes.
- Nick Fox said Google had to remove features in Europe and pull back spam protections, so European users see lower-quality results.
- Fox said people still click through to the web a lot, and that Google sends billions of clicks to it from Search and from its AI experiences.

Google said on 29 September 2026 that it is appealing two European Commission decisions under the
Digital Markets Act. One requires it to share search data with competitors, the other covers
Android. The same week, Search chief Nick Fox repeated Google's case in an interview.

## What does the Commission require?

The Commission's [page on the proceedings](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/developer-portal/data-access/alphabet-specification-proceedings-sharing-google-search-data_en)
says its decision was adopted on 16 July 2026. Under Article 6(11) of the DMA, Google must share
anonymised ranking, query, click and view data with eligible online search engines, on fair,
reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. The page says this includes AI chatbots that offer search.

## What does Google say?

Oliver Bethell, Google's senior director of competition, said Google is appealing decisions
that "will force us to share people's private search history without sufficient anonymization" and
weaken security protections on Android. Search Engine Roundtable reports a January 2027 deadline
for sharing search data and July 2027 for the Android changes.

## What did Nick Fox say?

Interviewed in Brussels on 21 September and published on 25 September, Fox said the changes make him
feel terrible, and that Google has removed features such as real-time flight pricing and searching
by trip dates. He also said:

- Google has "had to pull back on spam protection" in Europe, so users see lower-quality results.
- Handing queries to competitors, typically not European companies, would not enable European
  competition in a meaningful way.

The spam remark connects to Google's earlier [site reputation policy split along the EEA border](/news/site-reputation-policy-eea-split).

## Do people still click through?

Asked about zero-click searches, Fox said that is not what Google is seeing: people still click
through a lot, and Google sends billions of clicks to the web from Search and from its AI
experiences. He gave no figures beyond that, and the interview is Google's own account.

## What is not known yet?

The General Court has not ruled, and a Commission response to the appeal is not in the sources we
read. The Commission page does not mention the appeal. Until a ruling, the decisions' deadlines
remain Google's to meet or contest, and we cannot say whether any suspension applies.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Google appealing?

Two Digital Markets Act decisions: one requiring it to share anonymised search data with rival search engines, and one on Android. The appeal went to the EU General Court, per Google's statement as reported by Search Engine Roundtable.

### Who can receive Google's search data under the Commission's decision?

Eligible online search engines, including AI chatbots that offer search functionality, under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. The Commission page lists audit and data protection conditions.

### Does this change how Google ranks European sites?

Not directly. Fox said Google pulled back some spam protections in Europe, which links to the site reputation abuse change, but Google has published no ranking figures for Europe.

## Sources

1. [Alphabet specification proceedings - Sharing of Google Search data](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/developer-portal/data-access/alphabet-specification-proceedings-sharing-google-search-data_en) - European Commission Digital Markets Act (primary)
2. [Exclusive interview with Google's Nick Fox on the future of AI](https://populareconomics.substack.com/p/exclusive-interview-with-googles) - Popular Economics (Pietro Valetto) (primary)
3. [Google Appeals Europe's DMA Mandate To Share Search History Data](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-appeals-eu-dma-search-history-data-42180.html) - Search Engine Roundtable
4. [Google's Nick Fox Feels Sad & Terrible For European Searchers After DMA](https://www.seroundtable.com/nick-fox-google-dma-42178.html) - Search Engine Roundtable