Europe's plan to level the AI advertising race: get Google to provide equal access to its data
The European Commission is trying to stop Google from dominating the AI advertising race just as it kicks off.
EU regulators announced on Monday they were opening two proceedings to “assist” Google in complying with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Europe’s landmark regulation aimed at curbing Big Tech platforms’ influence.
“We want to help Google by explaining in more detail how it should comply with its interoperability and online search data sharing obligations under the Digital Markets Act,” said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition at the European Commission in a statement.
The proceedings target:
- Gemini's privileged access on Android: Google could restrict access to Android’s hardware and software features to Gemini. The Commission wants to ensure full interoperability, meaning the likes of ChatGPT, Claude and Mistral would get the same access to Android features as Gemini.
- Search data sharing: Given the dominance of Google Search, the Commission is aiming for Google to provide equal access to its query, click and view data in anonymized form with third-party search engines and the AI chatbot providers relying on them. ChatGPT and Copilot use Bing while Claude uses Brave, for example.
The proceedings formalize the Commission's regulatory dialogue with Google but stop short of full investigations or finding Google non-compliant with the DMA.
Still, the Commission is moving fast: preliminary findings are due within three months, with conclusions expected within six.
With these proceedings, EU regulators appear keen to shape competition in AI advertising from the outset, having watched Google dominate search advertising for years before launching several investigations into the company’s “anticompetitive” practices.
The context
Marketers should watch the Search proceeding closely for its potential to dictate the accuracy and capabilities of competing AI models — and therefore their appeal to both users and advertisers.
Even with ChatGPT testing ads as people increasingly turn to chatbots for queries, Google Search maintains an iron grip on people’s internet journeys, whether via Search, AI Mode, or Gemini.
That could translate to a massive advantage once the company decides to deploy ads on Gemini (though it denies plans to do so – for now).
"We're already licensing Search data to competitors under the DMA," Clare Kelly, Google's Senior Competition Counsel, said in a statement. "However, we are concerned that further rules, which are often driven by competitor grievances rather than the interest of consumers, will compromise user privacy, security and innovation.”
Still, should the Commission succeed in getting Google to provide equal access to its search data with its AI rivals, it could help level the playing field in “the most lucrative advertising ‘channel’ of all time,” as Aaron Goldman, chief marketing officer at omnichannel advertising company Mediaocean, called in it in a recent interview with The Current.
“We want to maximise the potential and the benefits of this profound technological shift by making sure the playing field is open and fair, not tilted in favor of the largest few,” said Ribera in the statement.