EU forces Google to share search data, open Android AI to rivals

On Thursday, the European Commission announced two paired specification decisions aimed at weakening Google's control over search and mobile AI in Europe. The first order requires Google to grant third-party AI assistants broad integration rights on Android phones; the second mandates that Google share anonymized search data with competing search engines and AI chatbots.

Under the Android AI interoperability ruling, third-party AI providers will gain extensive access to Android-powered devices. Specifically, they will be able to be voice-activated as an alternative to Gemini and will be permitted to take actions in apps on a user's behalf—capabilities currently restricted to Google's own assistant. The Commission stated: "Currently, on Android phones, competitors' AI assistants only have restricted access to key functionalities. Today's decision will ensure that users can activate their preferred AI assistant." The Commission acknowledged that Google and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) retain control and may impose "objective and non-discriminatory eligibility conditions" to protect privacy, security, and integrity.

On search data, the Commission said Google's prior voluntary offers were "ineffective so far." The new rule requires Google to share the same data it collects to optimize its own search services with other search engines and AI chatbots, allowing them to improve their competitive offerings. The Commission noted that the goal is to "allow companies to be able to offer European users a wider and more feature-rich range of options to choose from, both when it comes to their AI services on Android and to search services." The shared data must be anonymized according to specific technical standards: suppression of rare items (usernames, passwords, addresses, bank account info), generalization of metadata, grouping users into bundles of at least 1,000 people with similar geographic and device data, and removal of all direct and indirect identifiers. Recipients must have verified investment plans to improve search services, can only use the data for that purpose, cannot link it to other datasets or share it with third parties, and must undergo independent audits before and after access, with yearly audits thereafter. The Commission will conduct biennial reviews to account for practical experience and new developments.

Google and Alphabet president of global affairs Kent Walker responded sharply. On the AI side, he argued that "AI assistants already safely access Android's capabilities" and that "This Android ruling threatens device security by granting external apps sensitive and powerful device permissions without [OEM] safeguards." On search data, Walker warned that "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymisation of the data and without user knowledge or consent," risking privacy, trade secrets, and national security. The Chamber of Progress, a tech industry group funded in part by Google, echoed these concerns, with VP Kay Jebelli stating: "The Commission is ignoring well documented privacy risks to impose a vision of the digital economy, rather than working with industry to find solutions that are safe and supported by consumer demand."

When pressed on specifics, Google raised additional objections: the lack of explicit user consent, the use of pseudonymization rather than full anonymization, and concern that AI companies like OpenAI could use search data at scale to train their models. Google also contended that third-party AI assistants already gain distribution on Android through OEM deals and that screen-scraping with system-level access opens a major security window for attackers. The Commission countered that Google retains the final say over what data is shared, that recipients are vetted and restricted, and that search data will not be freely available—only to eligible parties with audited safeguards.

The Commission confirmed that Google has a right of defense, and independent judicial scrutiny remains possible. If no changes are made, Google must begin complying with search data sharing rules in January 2027 and the Android AI interoperability rules in July 2027. However, litigation is widely expected to extend the timeline significantly.

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.