The European Commission has issued binding measures requiring Alphabet's Google to open key Android features to competing AI assistants and share parts of its Google Search data with rival search engines, marking one of the bloc's most significant efforts yet to curb the market power of Big Tech under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
According to the European Commission, the first set of measures is intended to ensure competing AI services have equal access to Android capabilities currently available to Google's own Gemini assistant. The second requires Google to provide eligible third-party search engines with access to search data that Google collects at scale, helping rivals improve their services while maintaining user privacy safeguards.
Reuters reported that Google must make 11 Android features available to rival AI assistants, enabling them to perform tasks such as voice-activated bookings, interact more deeply with apps and device functions, and compete more effectively with Gemini. The Commission said Google should begin sharing eligible search data from January 2027, while Android-related changes are expected to benefit users from July 2027.
The measures include safeguards allowing Google to assess whether sharing data with a particular company would create cybersecurity or data protection risks. The regulator also said only qualifying competitors would receive access under strict privacy protections.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Commission concluded rival AI assistants currently have restricted access to key Android functionalities, preventing them from competing on equal terms with Google's services. Under the new requirements, users should be able to activate their preferred AI assistant through voice commands just as they can with Google's assistant, including for tasks such as booking taxis.
Google criticized the decision, arguing the rules could weaken privacy and security protections. Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, said the measures risk undermining safeguards for millions of Europeans. He argued that sharing search data could expose sensitive information and that opening Android system access could compromise device security.
Walker said the company had proposed alternative solutions that would satisfy the DMA while better protecting users. He warned that exposing search data to unfamiliar companies without sufficient safeguards could threaten privacy, business secrets, and national security.
The measures stem from specification proceedings launched by the Commission in January to clarify how Google should comply with the DMA. Companies designated as "gatekeepers" under the legislation can face fines of up to 10% of their annual global turnover for non-compliance.
Article edited by Jack Wu
