Ethical Hacking News
Google has warned that a proposed change in EU search data sharing rules could lead to significant cybersecurity risks, including increased fraud and de-anonymization of search queries. The company argues that the changes would undermine mobile security best practices and create more risks for users, while competitors argue that alternative approaches could mitigate these concerns.
Google's top security staff warn that proposed EU changes to search data sharing could lead to significant fraud increases in weeks. The proposed Digital Markets Act would force big tech companies like Google to share search data with competitors, posing cybersecurity risks. The changes could de-anonymize people's search queries and make them vulnerable to hackers and scammers. Google claims the changes would undermine mobile security best practices and create more user risks. Experts argue that alternative approaches could mitigate the risks, while some see the rules as necessary for promoting competition in search.
Google's top security and privacy staff have sounded the alarm about potential cybersecurity risks associated with a proposed change in European Union rules regarding search data sharing. The proposed changes, which are part of the Digital Markets Act competition rules, aim to force open big tech companies like Google to share their search data and operating systems with competitors.
According to Heather Adkins, Google's vice president of security engineering, if implemented as described, the changes could lead to a significant increase in fraud in the EU within weeks. She warned that scammers are creative and informed, and that the proposed anonymization techniques contain "deep weaknesses" that would require more granular data releases than Google currently provides.
The Digital Markets Act rules designate tech companies with large market shares as "gatekeepers," which would allow European officials to use the rules to force them to open up their systems and data to competitors. Google's search business, which makes up 90 percent of the worldwide search market, is already subject to these rules but the proposed changes would alter how this works.
Under the proposed changes, Google would need to share online search engines with access to search data "on par" with the data that Google itself collects, including query input and metadata. This could result in people's search queries being de-anonymized by bad actors and shared with small companies being targeted by criminal hackers.
Google claims that the proposed changes would undermine mobile security best practices and create more risks for users. However, competitors and independent researchers argue that the plans are flawed and that alternative approaches could mitigate the risks.
The European Commission's proposals include requirements on companies receiving search data to undergo independent audits of their setups and how data will be securely stored. The rules also aim to reduce reliance on a handful of firms that dominate markets and make it easier for others to compete.
Privacy advocates, academics, and lawyers have expressed mixed views on the proposed changes, with some arguing that they are necessary to promote competition in search, while others warn that they could lead to significant privacy risks. Experts argue that re-identification of people's search queries should be evaluated against the proposed protection systems around data sharing.
The potential cybersecurity risks associated with these proposed changes highlight the ongoing debate about balancing competition and innovation with consumer privacy and security. As European officials consider final decisions on the Digital Markets Act, Google's warnings underscore the need for careful consideration of the implications of these rules on users' rights and businesses alike.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Google-Warns-of-Potential-Cybersecurity-Risks-if-EU-Rules-Change-on-Search-Data-Sharing-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/top-google-security-staff-warn-search-data-could-be-hacked-thanks-to-eu-plans/
Published: Wed Jul 1 10:29:10 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
