Google warns EU data-sharing rules could trigger surge in fraud and cybercrime

Google has warned that European Union proposals requiring it to share search and Android data with rival platforms could trigger a significant surge in fraud and cybercrime within weeks, according to a statement from its VP of Security Engineering, Heather Adkins. The company's security team demonstrated that the anonymized data outlined in the EU's Digital Markets Act could be re-identified to reveal individual users in under two hours, raising serious concerns about user privacy and security. This conflict matters because the EU aims to boost digital competition by forcing data openness, but Google argues these rules compromise user protection and could expose consumers to abuse. The European Commission has already initiated proceedings to specify how Google must comply with the Digital Markets Act, setting the stage for further regulatory instructions on data sharing.