The European Union just handed Google a heavy mandate.
Open up Android to AI rivals. Hand over search data to competitors. No negotiating.
It isn’t a request. It is an order under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The EU thinks the playing field is tilted too far toward Google and Apple. These tech giants hold the gatekeys. The DMA is their crowbar.
Why the EU Is Forcing Android to Compete
The ruling targets a specific bottleneck: access.
Currently, third-party apps can’t touch core Android functions the way Google’s own services can. If you want your AI assistant to book a taxi or respond to voice commands like “Hey Google,” you are out of luck unless you are Google.
“With today’s measures, we want… enable fair competition in the markets of AI assistants for Android devices,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU Executive VP.
The Commission calls it a lack of innovation. Rivals say it is unfair disadvantage.
Gemini AI is everywhere on Android now. Inescapable, really. But other companies? Restricted.
This new order changes the rules for AI assistants for Android devices. Competitors can now activate their tools with voice commands. They can delegate tasks. They can integrate deeper into the operating system.
It levels the field, technically. Whether it works? That depends on whether anyone wants to use those alternatives.
Search Data: The Price of Entry
It is not just about AI. It is about data.
Google has to share search data.
Not all of it, mind you. But enough.
Specifically, Google must share data it uses to optimize search engines. This applies to third-party search engines and AI chatbots with search capabilities.
Privacy-focused engines might find this helpful. Developing an alternative to Google Search is hard. Optimizing it is harder. Data is fuel. Google held the pump.
The Commission requires two things here:
– Data access at a fair price.
– A clear, standardized process.
This answers a lot of “how do smaller search engines compete with Google” queries from developers who feel stuck behind the paywall of their own irrelevance.
Google Fights Back on Privacy Grounds
Google hates this. Of course.
Kent Walker, head of global affairs for Alphabet, called it dangerous.
“Today’s decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails,” Walker wrote.
Their argument is simple: forcing data sharing creates loopholes. Malicious actors get a path in. User harm is the likely result.
Google claimed it offered alternatives. They wanted anonymization done by technical and legal experts. The European Commission (EC) rejected that proposal.
A spokesperson told CNET that query data can be shared safely with better personal data protections. They insisted they tried to solve this.
They also pointed the finger elsewhere.
Phone makers control the apps with system-level permissions. Google says they grant access, not Alphabet.
It is a bit of a blame game. But Apple is watching closely.
Remember Siri? Because of DMA rulings, iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 users in the EU won’t get Apple’s new AI Siri. Apple pulled back to avoid the rules. Google is being pushed forward into them.
When Do These Rules Actually Kick In?
Patience. If you have any.
Google doesn’t start tomorrow.
The timeline is split:
- January 2027: Google starts sharing data with search providers.
- July 2027: The Android AI access changes go live.
That is a long runway. It gives Google time to adjust. Or complain further. It gives rivals time to build things people might actually want to use.
Most EU users have Android. 60% to be precise. The impact is massive.
We will see if rivals step up. We will see if Google finds a way around this. The data will tell the story, hopefully.
For now, the door is technically open. Walking through it? That’s up to them.
