Google must give rival AI assistants and search engines greater access to Android and Google Search after the European Union issued new instructions under the Digital Markets Act.
The European Commission adopted two final decisions on July 16. One decision focuses on AI assistant interoperability on Android, while the other requires Google to share certain anonymized search data with rival search engines. Google must start sharing search data from January 2027 and implement Android-related changes by July 2027.
The Android decision requires Google to give rival AI services access to Android features on terms comparable to its own AI assistant, Gemini.
The Commission said competing AI assistants need effective interoperability with Android hardware and software features. This includes 11 Android features relevant to AI services.
In practical terms, the order could allow users in the EU to choose third-party AI assistants with deeper system access. Rivals such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and other assistants could eventually interact more closely with apps, respond to voice activation, and use more device features if they meet the required safety and security checks.
The Commission said users should decide whether rival AI tools can access their data and device hardware, rather than Google controlling that access through Gemini alone.
The second decision focuses on Google Search.
Under Article 6(11) of the DMA, Alphabet must share anonymized online search data with third-party search engines under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. The Commission said this can include ranking, query, click, and view data that could help rivals improve their own search services.
The final measures adopted on July 16 require Google to put those data-sharing obligations into effect for Google Search. The Commission said the goal is to help rival search engines better optimize their services and compete with Google Search.
The EU also said AI chatbots can fall within the scope of the search-data rules when they function like search services. That means AI companies using chatbot-style search tools could also benefit from the new access rules.
The rulings come under the Digital Markets Act, the EU law designed to limit the power of major online “gatekeepers.”
Alphabet is one of the companies designated as a gatekeeper under the DMA. Its covered services include Google Search, Android, Google Play, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Chrome, and Google’s online advertising service.
Unlike a traditional antitrust fine, these proceedings are designed to force changes in how Google operates. The Commission opened the specification proceedings in January 2026 to clarify how Google must comply with the DMA.
If Google fails to comply, the Commission can impose fines of up to 10 percent of Alphabet’s annual worldwide turnover. Repeat violations can carry even higher penalties under the DMA.
The Android order could directly affect Google’s Gemini strategy.
Gemini is deeply tied into Google’s mobile ecosystem, giving it a strong position on Android devices. The EU said AI assistants are becoming a primary way for users to interact with their phones, which makes fair access to Android features important for competition.
If implemented fully, the changes could let Android users in Europe choose rival AI assistants with more system-level features. This could make it easier for OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity, and other companies to compete with Gemini on Android.
Google criticized the EU’s decisions and warned that the measures could create privacy and security risks.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said the decisions risk undermining “vital privacy and security guardrails” for millions of Europeans. He said Google had offered alternatives to protect users while meeting the DMA’s goals, but argued that the rulings discounted evidence of user harm.
Google has argued that deeper third-party access to Android features and search data could expose sensitive user information, weaken product security, and create risks for users.
The Commission said the new access requirements will include safeguards.
For Android, Google will still be able to assess whether rival AI services present cybersecurity or privacy risks before granting deeper access. For search data, the EU said there will be limits on how the data can be used, and the sharing must follow privacy and security rules.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, said the measures are meant to support innovation, diversity, and fair competition in AI assistants and search engines. She said the EU hopes to see alternatives to Google Search and Gemini emerge for European users.
The Google decisions may also signal how Brussels will handle similar AI competition issues involving other large technology companies.
Apple has already delayed some AI features in Europe, blaming DMA interoperability requirements and arguing that they could affect user safety. The Verge reported that Google is taking a different approach by continuing to offer Gemini in Europe while working through the EU’s compliance process.
For users, the impact will not be immediate. Search data sharing is due to begin in January 2027, while Android AI interoperability changes are expected by July 2027.
If the measures work as intended, Android users in the EU could eventually get more freedom to choose deeply integrated AI assistants, while rival search engines and AI search tools could gain access to data that helps them compete with Google Search.
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