EU forces Google to open Android, Search to rival AI assistants

The European Union on Thursday handed down two major antitrust rulings requiring Google to fundamentally reshape how it controls access to Android and Google Search. The orders, issued under the EU's Digital Markets Act, designate Google as a "gatekeeper" platform and require it to grant competitors the same access to systems and data that Google itself enjoys.

The Android ruling mandates that Google give rival AI assistants comparable access to the same system features and data it provides to Gemini. In practical terms, this means Android users will be able to choose competing tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity as deeply integrated system assistants. These rival services will gain the ability to interact with apps, respond to voice commands (such as "Hey Google"), and make fuller use of the phone's hardware—capabilities currently exclusive to Gemini. The decision shifts control from Google to users, allowing them to decide whether competing tools can access their data and device hardware.

The second ruling focuses on Google Search and requires the company to share data generated by the platform with competing search engines and AI services. The EU explicitly included AI chatbots in this requirement, recognizing that they can function as search engines. This data-sharing measure parallels remedies ordered in the US search antitrust case, where Google was instructed to share valuable search information with rivals to boost their competitive position.

Google has strongly opposed both measures, arguing that the requirements pose "an unacceptable risk to user privacy and security" and compromise its products. Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, said in a blog post that "today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans." However, the EU said limits will be placed on how search data can be used and that Google will be able to vet which services gain deeper access to Android to ensure safety and security are maintained. Google has until January 2027 to begin sharing search data and until July 2027 to implement the Android changes. Non-compliance carries the threat of fines up to 10 percent of Google's annual worldwide turnover—potentially tens of billions of dollars. The rulings are also expected to influence how Brussels approaches similar interoperability and data-sharing questions for other tech giants, including Apple, which declined to release Siri AI in Europe while explicitly blaming the DMA's requirements.

The European Union's orders represent a landmark enforcement action under its Digital Markets Act, targeting two of Google's most profitable and strategically important business lines. The rulings stem from technical regulatory proceedings that required extensive engagement between Google and EU regulators—a notably different approach from traditional financial penalties. By requiring Google to share both search data and system-level access on Android, the EU is attempting to level the competitive playing field for emerging AI services and traditional search alternatives that have struggled to compete against Google's dominance.

The timing and scope of these orders carry broader implications for the global tech industry. The EU explicitly noted that the rulings may shape how Brussels approaches similar interoperability and data-sharing requirements for other tech giants, with Apple already citing the DMA's requirements as a reason to withhold Siri AI from European markets. Google's argument that the requirements pose unacceptable privacy and security risks has been rejected by the EU, which said limits will be placed on data use and that Google can vet services accessing Android to ensure safety. The January 2027 deadline for search data sharing and July 2027 deadline for Android changes give Google over a year to prepare, but the threat of fines equal to up to 10 percent of annual worldwide turnover creates strong financial pressure to comply.

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