Google Security Staff Warn EU Rules Could Expose Search Data to Hackers
Original: Top Google Security Staff Warn Search Data Could Be Hacked if EU Rules Change
Why This Matters
EU Digital Markets Act enforcement sets precedent for regulating tech giants globally; security debate influences competition policy and consumer data protection standards.
Google's top security officials warned that European Union plans to open Google Search and Android to competitors could lead to hacked search queries and increased cybercrime, ahead of the EU Commission's July 27 decision deadline on Digital Markets Act enforcement.
Google's vice president of security engineering, Heather Adkins, raised concerns about European Commission proposals requiring the company to share anonymized search data with competitors and allow greater AI service access to Android. Adkins stated that Android changes could result in significant fraud increases within weeks of implementation in the EU, warning that fraudsters are 'creative and informed.' She also claimed proposed Search changes could allow bad actors to de-anonymize search queries and that sharing data with smaller companies would create attractive targets for criminal hackers. The European Commission, enforcing the Digital Markets Act adopted in December 2022, is pushing tech gatekeepers including Google to open systems and data to competitors. The Act designates large market-share companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft as gatekeepers requiring interoperability. Google has intensified opposition to specific provisions, while some competitors and independent researchers counter that privacy and security impacts are overstated. The European Commission acknowledged WIRED's request for comment but did not respond to Google's specific security concerns. The final decisions are scheduled for announcement by July 27, 2026.