European Commission issues preliminary findings to Google under the Digital Markets Act

On April 16, 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings to Google as part of its enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Commission designates Google as a digital gatekeeper and proposes measures requiring the company to share search data with third-party search engines and data beneficiaries. This required data includes information on user queries, rankings, clicks, and views. The regulations are intended to foster competition in the online search market and allow third-party providers, including AI-powered chatbots, to improve their services. Google must share this data under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. The proposed measures also specify the frequency of data sharing, procedures for access, and requirements for the anonymization of personal data. Additionally, the Commission has established parameters for setting fair pricing for the provided data. Interested stakeholders have until May 1, 2026, to submit their views on these proposed measures.