The European Commission has ordered Google to share search data with competitors and allow third-party AI assistants to integrate deeply into Android phones—measures the Commission says will restore competition and give users more options.
Google opposes the rules on privacy and security grounds, though the Commission says it has included protections such as anonymization, audit requirements, and Google's right to screen third parties.
The orders take effect in 2027 but are likely to face litigation.
What happened
The European Commission issued two specification decisions requiring Google to grant third-party AI assistants broad access to Android (including voice activation and app control) and to share anonymized search data with competing search engines and AI chatbots to improve their services.
Why it matters
Google has long dominated mobile search and AI on Android globally; the EU is seeking to level the playing field for competitors and give European users more choices. Google argues the rules risk privacy and security, but the Commission has built in safeguards—anonymization, data-use restrictions, Google's ability to vet third parties for security standards, and independent audits.
What to watch
Google must comply with search data sharing by January 2027 and the Android AI interoperability rules by July 2027, though the company is expected to mount legal challenges and may attempt to find workarounds.
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The EU's move reflects a long-running tension: Google's dominance in search and mobile operating systems has allowed it to entrench Gemini as the default AI assistant and limit what competitors can do on Android. The Commission had previously asked Google to open up search data in April; Google's response was deemed ineffective, prompting today's binding specification decisions. The stakes are high because Android powers the majority of the world's smartphones, and search data is a key asset for training and improving competing search and AI services.
Google's objections center on privacy, security, and trade secrets. The company warns that exposing search data to unfamiliar firms without explicit user consent could harm Europeans and that granting third-party AI system-level access to Android opens the door to malicious actors. The Commission has addressed some of these concerns by requiring anonymization (grouping users into bundles of 1,000+, removing identifiers), mandating independent audits before and after access is granted, and allowing Google to assess whether sharing with a specific third party poses serious security risks. However, Google notes that the Commission is requiring only pseudonymization rather than full anonymization, and that contractual safeguards alone may not be enough—pointing to the Cambridge Analytica scandal as a cautionary example of how contractual restrictions can fail.
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