EU orders Google to share Android AI features, Search data with rivals

The European Commission has issued binding measures that mandate Alphabet's Google to open key Android features to competing AI assistants and share portions of its Google Search data with rival search engines. The action marks one of the European Union's most significant enforcement efforts under its Digital Markets Act, the bloc's primary tool for policing large digital platforms. By forcing Google to grant competitors access to Android AI capabilities and requiring the sharing of Search data, the Commission aims to reduce Google's stranglehold on both the mobile AI space and the search market itself. The binding nature of the measures means Google has no discretion to refuse compliance; the company must execute the changes as directed. This enforcement action reflects the EU's broader strategy under the DMA to identify points where dominant platforms can be forced to open their ecosystems, creating room for rivals to offer services that compete on quality rather than on privileged access to Google's infrastructure.

The European Commission's action represents a direct application of the Digital Markets Act, the EU's landmark regulation designed to constrain the power of large digital gatekeepers. By requiring Google to open Android AI features and share Search data, the Commission is tackling two of Google's most defensible competitive advantages: control over the Android operating system and the dominance of its Search product. The simultaneous targeting of both AI and search reflects the EU's recognition that as AI becomes central to mobile and online services, controlling access to these platforms gives Google an outsized ability to shape which competitors can reach users. This move signals the Commission's intent to enforce the DMA not just to prevent new abuses but to structurally rebalance markets where Google already holds decisive power.