EU Orders Google to Open Android to AI Rivals and Share Search Data Under Digital Markets Act

EU Orders Google to Open Android to AI Rivals and to Share Search Data

Dashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic shifts and everyday challenges to help readers make well-informed decisions, and she covers a range of topics, including technology, security, energy and money. Dashia graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She loves baking, teaching spinning and spending time with her family. The European Commission on Thursday mandated that Google provide its competitors with greater access to AI capabilities on Android phones and to search data, saying the increased openness is needed to level the playing field in those areas. The ruling stems from the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which is designed to ensure that powerful tech companies, such as Google and Apple, can't unfairly dominate markets through their size and their gatekeeping powers. In this case, the act requires Google to give third-party apps and services the same level of access to its software as it does for its own services. "With today's measures, we want to support innovation and diversity in the European Union, enabling fair competition in the markets of AI assistants for Android devices and search engines," Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a statement. "Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services." Gemini AI has become inescapable in Google software and on Android devices. But AI assistants from other companies have had restricted access to key Android functions, which limits the kinds of services they can create and offer, putting them at an unfair disadvantage, according to the Commission. The new ruling would mean, for instance, that third-party AIs could be activated with a voice command similar to "Hey, Google" or could be delegated tasks such as booking a taxi, the Commission said. The Commission noted that 60% of phone users in the EU have an Android device. Thursday's decision also requires Google to share its search data with third-party search engines and with AI chatbots that offer search functionality. That includes data Google uses to optimize its search engine. The Commission said this requirement is important for developing and optimizing third-party search engines, including privacy-focused alternatives. Google will also have to provide the data at a fair price and through a clear process, the Commission said. Google's response In its response to the ruling, Google homed in on what it said are the dangers the DMA-driven changes would pose to users. "Today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans," Kent Walker, president of global affairs for Google and parent company Alphabet, wrote in a blog post. "We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA's goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm." In an email to CNET, a Google spokesperson reiterated the company's privacy concerns and noted that the alternatives it suggested would ensure, for instance, that query-related data is passed along to recipients while providing better personal data protection. Google also proposed that anonymization be performed by technical and legal experts, but said the EC rejected the proposal. Google also said that AI agents already have access to choices, but that ultimately, phone-makers play a big role in protecting users by evaluating apps that could have system-level permissions and access to your data. It said that phone-makers provide that access, not Google. Apple last month said that because of a DMA ruling, access to its new Siri AI would not be available to users in the EU when iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 roll out later this year. Under Thursday's ruling, Google must start sharing data with search providers in January 2027 and make the Android changes effective as of July 2027.

Google is better at playing this game

Today, the European Union ordered Google to give its AI rivals greater access to Android, the open-source operating system that powers billions of devices worldwide. The demand is hardly surprising. It may look like a defeat on paper for Google, which has spent years resisting exactly this kind of access, but it is a regulatory win. It's also a sign that Google may have outmaneuvered Apple by playing Brussels' regulatory game far more shrewdly. In one of two decisions handed down on Thursday, the European Commission -- the EU's executive arm and the principal enforcer of the bloc's competition rules -- said Google must give rival AI assistants the same kind of system features and data access it grants Google's Gemini. The order stems from Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires dominant platforms designated as "gatekeepers" to give competitors access to certain systems and data comparable to what is available to their own services. Crucially, Google has until July 2027 to make those changes, giving it roughly a year to continue expanding Gemini, negotiate technical details with the EU, and shape how its rivals will eventually plug into Android. The company could also challenge the decision in court, though it has not commented publicly whether it plans to do so and declined to comment on the record when The Verge inquired. While Google has made it clear it would rather not open its systems at all -- arguing it risks compromising users' safety, security, and privacy -- that yearlong runway compounds an already significant advantage. Gemini is already deeply integrated into Android and often ships preinstalled as the default AI assistant on many devices, giving Google more time to strengthen its position before rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic gain comparable levels of access. Google's strategy of shipping first and negotiating with regulators later stands in stark contrast to Apple's. When Apple announced its long-awaited Siri AI assistant last month, it made a big point of saying the feature would not launch in Europe because of the DMA. As with Android, the Commission said Apple would need to give third-party assistants comparable access to key systems, features, and data to those of Siri AI. Apple argued that doing so "would be irresponsible" and create unacceptable privacy and security risks. The company said it asked the Commission for 18 months to build a compliant version and introduce the required interoperability on a "gradually rolling" basis. The Commission rejected that proposal. Apple still has no public timeline for when, or even whether, it plans to bring Siri AI to the EU and did not respond to The Verge's request for comment. Google, meanwhile, just secured the very grace period for Gemini that Apple wanted for Siri AI: time to comply with the DMA while its AI assistant stays on the market. The contrast may partly reflect where each company's AI assistant stood when the DMA began shaping product decisions. Gemini has been the central pillar of Google's AI strategy for years and has been widely distributed across the company's product ecosystem, giving Google a strong incentive to stay in the market and figure out compliance with any laws later. Apple, meanwhile, unveiled its new Siri AI very recently and chose to withhold it from the EU, despite having had years to anticipate the DMA's requirements during the product's design. Apple also chose to turn Siri AI's absence into a political weapon, evidently hoping the court of public opinion would find in its favor and pressure Brussels to relax interoperability requirements. It did so publicly and repeatedly, taking the unusual step of dedicating part of its WWDC 2026 keynote to explaining why Siri AI won't be coming to Europe, publishing a pointed blog post titled "Due to DMA, Siri AI delayed in EU for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27," and holding media briefings on the issue. It relayed news that China was missing out on Siri AI through a one-sentence footnote. All of this served to cast Brussels, not Apple's product choices, as the reason for the delay. It's also possible that the split is less significant behind the scenes than it appears in public. Google and Apple both vehemently oppose the DMA's interoperability demands, framing them as threats to privacy, security, and product integrity. The two companies have also worked together on integrating Gemini into Apple's AI products, including Siri AI, making it plausible that they have remained in contact while exploring different ways to fight the same set of restrictions. For now, though, the difference is stark. Google has a year to bring Android into compliance while continuing to expand Gemini. Brussels denied Apple this kind of runway, and who knows when Siri AI will reach the EU.

EU Will Force Google to Open Up Android to Rival AI Chatbots

The European Commission will require Google to make other companies' AIs more accessible on Android and to reveal its internal search data to competitors. The commission argues that Google holds too strong a position in key industries like search and the burgeoning AI space, in violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). In search, it still dominates the space with over 91% of the global market. Data sharing is "crucial for the development and optimization of third-party search engines," the commission says, so it's forcing Google to hand over the data it uses to optimize its own search services. This kind of data, the commission argues, could help level the playing field for other search engines, allowing them to more easily develop innovative search services, particularly those that focus on user privacy. Ironically, that's what Google claims will be harmed by this measure. Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, says that it risks harming the privacy of European users by sharing data without adequate anonymization. However, the commission specifically says that data sharing would be subject to anonymization before being shared. It has also provided guidance on calculating the value of shared data to ensure Google is not unfairly compensated. Walker says that Google will continue to advocate for a more "balanced approach." On AI access on Android, the commission is also forcing Google to open up its systems. In this case, it has to give third-party AI assistants the ability to perform some of the tasks that Gemini can do, such as being activated with a wake word, like "Hey Google." The same goes for performing tasks within applications -- effectively making it so that anything Gemini can do on Android, other AI assistant tools need to be able to do it, too. "Currently, on Android phones, competitors' AI assistants only have restricted access to key functionalities of the Google Android operating system," the commission notes. "Without this access, alternative AI assistants are not competing on an equal footing with Google's own AI services that have full access. Third-party AI assistants are therefore limited in how they can offer their innovative services, making them less attractive to 60% of EU users who have an Android device." Google must implement the search data sharing requirements by January 2027 and the AI integration by July 2027.

E.U. Orders Google to Open Android Mic, Camera and Screen to Rival AI Assistants

The European Commission on Thursday ordered Google to give rival AI assistants the same reach into Android that Gemini already has: the camera, the microphone, whatever is on screen, a wake word that fires with the display off, and the ability to drive other apps in the background by imitating taps and typing. Google has to ship it in the next major release, Android 18, and by 1 August 2027 at the latest. That is one of two binding specification decisions adopted on 16 July under the Digital Markets Act, six months after the Commission opened proceedings on 27 January. The second makes Google hand anonymised Search query, click, and ranking data to rival search engines, and to AI chatbots that do search, for a cost-based fee. Neither is a fine. Specification proceedings only say what a gatekeeper has to build; the Commission's separate power to open a non-compliance case, fines included, is untouched. Android carries around 60% of European mobile users. Five features gated, six not The Android decision covers 11 operating system features. Google may demand certification before an app touches five of them, which the published measures call restricted features: * Centralised access to the on-device data apps opt in to sharing, today AppSearch. * Context-aware intelligence, the always-on machinery behind proactive suggestions like Magic Cue. * Structured on-device integration, meaning App Actions and App Functions. * Screen automation, which Android implements as Computer Control. * System integration: settings, media, screenshots, notifications, and power. Paragraph 55 spells the third one out, and it points straight at Google's own apps. A certified assistant gets to retrieve and draft Gmail, create and manage Calendar events, pull content out of Drive and Docs, trigger Maps navigation, control YouTube playback and query watch history, read and write SMS, MMS, and RCS in Messages, and place phone calls. The other six carry no certification requirement at all: ambient data, always-on hotword detection, long-press invocation, the system-level on-device models, third-party model implementation, and background execution. Paragraph 119 opens them to all third parties, user-installed apps included, and bars Google from restricting the type or use case of the app that calls them. Ambient data means microphone input, system audio, camera, screen contents, location, and sensors such as the accelerometer, continuously and in the background, under the same consent prompts that Google's own AI services get. Those prompts are the light ones: the Commission's case summary notes that Google's first-party services reach the sensors today with reduced consent processes and privacy indicators, while third parties get runtime consent per use. Hotword detection rides the low-power DSP, so it survives a locked screen and battery saver, and can keep recording until the user ends the request. That one only reaches phones already carrying the chip. Letting several assistants listen at once slips to Android 19 and 1 August 2028. Consent still gates all of it, and Google can still require process isolation and encryption. What it cannot do, for these six, is decide who is allowed to ask. If it wants the raw sensor feed behind a gate, the measures leave it a route: file a reasoned request showing good cause, and the Commission may move the feature onto the restricted list. The programme Google has to write For the gated five, Google has to set up a Qualified AI Assistant Programme, let third-party Trusted Certification Authorities certify assistants into it free of charge, accept those certifications without bolting on conditions, and never revoke them. It also writes the TCA programme's terms and decides who gets approved as a certifier, on terms that have to be reasonable and non-discriminatory, and that it has to clear with the Commission two months before changing. So it cannot revoke a TCA's certification of an assistant. It can revoke the TCA. The bar itself is capped. Google may test whether an assistant reconfirms user intent before sensitive or irreversible actions, whether it minimises inadvertent data disclosure, whether it clears baseline mobile app security, and whether it is hardened against agentic risks that would negate user intent. The measures offer input, supply chain, integration, model integrity and infrastructure as examples of those. Anything past that needs the Commission first, and the same conditions bind Gemini. Suspension is narrow: Google needs a consistent body of evidence of practices causing severe and immediate harm, and it has to hand that evidence to the Commission and the certification authorities. Appeals get an answer within a month. There is also a door around the gate. Paragraph 135 makes Google let users consent their way out of the certification requirement, per service, per device, without burying the switch behind developer mode. Draft terms are due 1 February 2027, final terms and open applications 1 May 2027. If you ship an Android app By August 2027, a certified assistant, or an uncertified one the user waved through, can open your app on a virtual display, read its screen, and click through it while the user does something else. The feature's functionality list includes letting a controlled app block sensitive views from the controlling app. Wire that decision before the Android 18 beta. Two other outs exist only if Google chooses to build them: blocking automation on parts of your app, and keeping your app's context away from proactive-suggestion components. The decision permits both. It requires neither. The search dataset The anonymisation method is published, and it runs three passes. Strip direct identifiers and the attributes that let records be stitched back together: usernames, IP addresses, precise timestamps, input format. Suppress any record whose query carries rare terms such as full names, passwords, street addresses or bank account numbers, or that runs unusually long. Then generalise metadata until every user sits in a group of at least 1,000 sharing location, device type, and query language, with 95% landing in groups of 29,000 or more. Contracts carry the rest: ringfenced processing, no linking to other datasets, no onward disclosure, no re-identification attempts, an independent audit before access, and annually after. Recipients need 50,000 monthly average EU users over the past year, cannot be sanctioned, and cannot be controlled by a country the EU treats as a serious and structural cybersecurity or data protection risk. Data arrives at least seven days stale and cuts off after five years per beneficiary. Google also gets to assess, before it shares anything, whether a specific recipient poses serious cyber security and data protection risks. Its clock here is short: eligibility form and a beneficiary webpage by end of August, finished dataset by November, pricing by January 2027. Google's objection Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, said the Android decision "threatens device security by granting external apps sensitive and powerful device permissions". He said phone makers vet assistants today, and that the decision strips that safeguard out. On the Search half his position is that the anonymisation is not good enough, that users are not being asked, and that the fallout reaches trade secrets and national security. He cited ENISA, the EU's cybersecurity agency, which wrote this month that "security fundamentals matter more than ever in the age of AI". That ENISA paper is about frontier models collapsing the window between vulnerability discovery and exploitation toward zero. It does not mention Android, interoperability or app permissions. The objection is not imaginary. Gemini is the proof. The decision's digital-context list hands third-party assistants notifications, SMS, screen contents, and screenshots. Notification content is the channel SafeBreach used to hijack Gemini's own Android Utilities agent by indirect prompt injection, no malicious app on the device required. Google mitigated that one server-side in November 2025, before SafeBreach published last month. Input risk is now one of the things a candidate assistant has to be hardened against. Google writes the test. What the April draft said The safeguards Walker says are missing are the ones that arrived after Google complained. The Commission's draft measures from 27 April have no restricted features, no Qualified AI Assistant Programme, and no certification authorities. Draft paragraph 134 forbade Google from restricting who benefits, and allowed a verification process only if it was run by neutral and independent third parties and applied only on the Play Store. The final lets Google certify applicants itself. The draft's integrity clauses barred limits on purpose, beneficiaries, apps, technologies, and use cases; the final bolts "unless specified otherwise in this Annex" onto each. The Search draft was looser still: no user threshold, no capital requirement, no country-risk exclusion, and a metadata group floor of 50 rather than 1,000. The deadlines moved in the same direction. Most Android features were due 1 January 2027 in the draft. They land on 1 August 2027 in the decision. Concurrent hotwords go from that same January date to August 2028. The Commission says the final measures take due account of what Google and third parties filed during the consultation, and the diff shows what was bought. What Google did not get is discretion. Integrity measures have to be strictly necessary, justified by objective evidence it must retain, verifiable by someone other than Google, and applied identically to its own services. It may not impose "a higher level of integrity on third parties than it applies to itself". It owes the Commission four weeks' notice before it applies one. The only way around that is a change that is non-user-facing, purely technical, identical for Google and everyone else, and harmless to third parties. All four, or notice. So the fight moves to 1 February 2027, when the draft programme terms land. Google spent the spring arguing that uncertified assistants should not hold these permissions, and won a certification regime that did not exist in April. Now it has to write the thing down, in public, and once, knowing the definition gets read straight back to Gemini.

Google required to open up to AI, search engine rivals under EU-mandated changes

BRUSSELS, July 16 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google will have to help OpenAI and other AI rivals as well as online search engine competitors access its services to comply with EU rules curbing the power of Big Tech, EU regulators said as they set out the details of the requirements. The move by the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, came six months after the regulator opened so-called specification proceedings to assist the world's most popular internet search engine to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Google reiterated its criticism of the EU-mandated changes. "Today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and ⁠security guardrails for millions of Europeans," Google's lawyer Kent Walker said in an email. "We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA's goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm," he said. The Commission said Google will open up 11 features on its Android operating system to AI rivals to access key functionalities and better compete with Google's Gemini AI service. This would mean that users can activate a rival AI assistant via voice commands, similar to the 'hey Google' command, to book a taxi or search for information on places. Users will ⁠benefit from the changes from July 2027 in the next iteration of Android. The Commission said the measures contain robust safeguards to protect users' privacy and device security, and that Google will only offer the 11 features to rivals who fulfil security and privacy criteria. The EU decision also requires Google to share the ⁠data that it collects to optimise its own search services with OpenAI and other AI chatbots with search functionalities, subject to anonymisation. Google can first assess whether rivals pose cybersecurity and data protection risks before it ⁠opens up to them. The EU measure, which will be implemented from January next year, includes a formula to calculate the price of the shared data. "Thanks to these measures we ⁠hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence * Data Privacy * Regulatory Oversight * Antitrust Foo Yun Chee Thomson Reuters An agenda-setting and market-moving journalist, Foo Yun Chee is a 21-year veteran at Reuters. Her stories on high profile mergers have pushed up the European telecoms index, lifted companies' shares and helped investors decide on their next move. Her knowledge and experience of European antitrust laws and developments helped her break stories on Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta and Apple, numerous market-moving mergers and antitrust investigations. She has previously reported on Greek politics and companies, when Greece's entry into the eurozone meant it punched above its weight on the international stage, as well as on Dutch corporate giants and the quirks of Dutch society and culture that never fail to charm readers.

Google ordered to open Android and Search to rivals in Europe

Google must give rival AI assistants and search engines greater access to key parts of Android and Google Search after the European Union ordered the company to comply with the bloc's digital antitrust rules. The two decisions, handed down Thursday, could weaken Google's control over two of the tech industry's most important platforms and have far-reaching consequences for the company, shape the future of its AI tool Gemini, and open up new opportunities for rivals to gain ground. The rulings stem from technical regulatory proceedings under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires dominant platforms -- designated "gatekeepers" -- to give competitors comparable access to systems and data as they themselves enjoy. Unlike a financial penalty, the procedures require Google to change how it operates in order to bring its services in line with the DMA and are developed through extensive engagement between the company and regulators. The two proceedings focus on separate but thematically similar parts of Google's business: How rival AI assistants can operate on Android, and how competing search engines and other AI chatbots can access data generated by Google Search. The Android decision sets out how Google must give rival AI assistants the same kind of system features and data access as it gives Gemini. In practical terms, it requires greater interoperability, allowing users -- rather than Google -- to decide whether competing tools can access their data and device hardware. That could include the ability to interact with apps, respond to voice commands like "Hey Google," and make fuller use of the phone's hardware. That means Android users could eventually choose ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or other assistants as deeply integrated system assistants instead of Gemini, with comparable access to device capabilities. The second proceeding focuses on Google Search and the data it generates, setting out how competing search engines and AI services can gain access to information historically kept by Google. Notably, the EU said this includes AI chatbots, which effectively function as search engines in some cases. The data-sharing measure broadly echoes remedies ordered in the US search antitrust case, where Google was instructed to share valuable search information with rivals that could help boost their ability to compete. Google has pushed back against both of these measures, arguing the requirements pose an unacceptable risk to user privacy and security, as well as compromise its products. The EU said there will be limits on how search data can be used and that Google will be able to vet which services get deeper access to Android to ensure safety and security aren't compromised. "With today's measures, we want to support innovation and diversity in the European Union, enabling fair competition in the markets of AI assistant for Android devices and search engines," said European Commission executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy Henna Virkkunen. "Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services. All developers, large and small, are welcome to explore these new opportunities, which will certainly benefit users too."

EU forces Google to share search data and open Android to rival AI companies

BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union issued two new rules for Google on Thursday to force it to share search data and open up its Android operating system to rival AI companies. In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. "Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing tech, said. The measure is the latest advancement of Brussels' growing rules and regulations that have given the 27-nation bloc a global leadership position in checking the power of tech juggernauts or "gatekeepers" like TikTok, which are largely based in China and the U.S. Recently, Brussels has pushed through efforts to ensure Google gives access to Gemini AI services to rival AI companies and search engines; forced Apple to add interoperability features to its devices to connect to non-Apple products; and demanded Meta dismantle " key addictive features " like infinite scrolling. Kent Walker, president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, said the new rules could backfire by removing safeguards that the company had built to protect user privacy like the vetting of third-party AI assistants. "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at EU tech regulation in the past. In issuing the two new rules, the commission said it found that AI agents not made by Google were unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Google's Gemini. Google must now allow voice-activation of these alternative AI agents and enable them to run background tasks like booking restaurants via third-party apps. By January 2027, Google must also begin sharing anonymized search data with some rivals. The commission said the move is meant to level the playing field since Google controls a vast trove of user data that no competitor can match.

EU demands Google give AI rivals more access to Android - Engadget

EU demands Google give AI rivals more access to Android It will also have to share search data with rivals. The European Union has today ordered Google to open up more parts of Android to rival AI apps. It's a move prompted by concerns Google could use its dominant mobile OS to box out its competitors. For instance, the EU says rival AI assistants have only limited access to "key functionalities" within Android compared to Gemini. Consequently, "third-party AI assistants are therefore limited in how they can offer their innovative services." When the requisite changes are made, it's likely Android users will get a similar choice as when choosing a browser in the bloc. Once selected, they'll be able to wake it with voice commands, engaging their assistant of choice in various agentic actions. But that's not all, and the EU has additionally insisted Google share data with third party search engines. This includes enabling AI chatbots are "eligible to receive shared data" and that Google should "share the same data it collects to optimize its own search." The rules insist this data is anonymized, the methods of which will be evaluated by an independent third party. These decisions are legally binding, and Google has to begin data sharing with rivals by January 2027. The company has until July 2027 to do the same with Android, opening up various software features to the aforementioned rival AI apps. Kent Walker, Google's President of Global Affairs, has penned a response saying that the decisions "risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans." Walker adds the EU has turned a blind eye to its evidence of user harm, and the demands to open up Android further will weaken device security. In a rare moment of collaboration, even Apple moved to Google's defense, saying earlier this year that such a move would cause a privacy nightmare. In addition, he said the decision to force Google to share search data will "endanger national security." It's not clear if Google is going to challenge the decisions, although we suspect it will, given the stern warnings made here.

Google required to open up to AI, search engine rivals under EU-mandated changes

Alphabet's Google will have to help OpenAI and other AI rivals, as well as online search engine competitors, access its services ⁠to comply with EU rules curbing the power of Big Tech, EU regulators said as they set out the details of the requirements. The move by the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, came six months after the regulator opened so-called specification proceedings to assist the world's most popular internet search ⁠engine to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Google reiterated ⁠its criticism of the EU-mandated changes. "Today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans," Google's lawyer Kent Walker said in an email. "We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA's goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm," he said. The Commission said Google will open up 11 features on its Android operating system to AI rivals to access key functionalities and better compete with Google's Gemini AI service. This would mean that users can activate a rival AI assistant via voice commands, similar ⁠to the 'hey Google' command, to book a taxi or search for information on places. Users will benefit from the changes from July 2027 in the next iteration of Android. The Commission said the measures contain robust safeguards to protect users' privacy and device security, and that Google will only offer the 11 features to rivals ⁠who fulfil security and privacy criteria. The EU decision also requires Google to ⁠share the data that it collects to optimise its own search ⁠services with OpenAI and other AI chatbots with search functionalities, subject to anonymisation. Google can first assess whether rivals pose cybersecurity and data protection risks before it opens up to them. The EU measure, which will be implemented from January next year, includes a formula to calculate the price of the shared data. "Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.

The EU is forcing Google to give rival AI assistants the same access as Gemini on Android

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. What just happened? European Union regulators are forcing Google to change how Android handles artificial intelligence, ordering the company to open up the operating system and its search data to competing AI services. Under a binding decision announced on Thursday, Google must grant rival AI assistants the same system-level access that its Gemini assistant enjoys on Android phones in the bloc. The move is intended to prevent Google from using Android's vast reach to tilt the fast-growing AI market in its favor and to ensure that competing services have a fair opportunity to reach users. The stakes are high. Android powers about 60% of smartphones in the European Union, and AI companies see those devices as the primary gateway for turning chatbots into everyday assistants. The deeper a service is integrated into a device - reading the screen, handling messages, and interacting with other apps - the more useful it becomes. That is precisely the layer of control EU officials are now trying to open up. Regulators said Google will have to place rival AI services on "equal footing" with Gemini. That includes access to voice commands, system search, and the ability to perform actions in other apps, such as ordering a ride, replying to a text message, or pulling up information about a place a user recently visited. The changes must be implemented by next July. The order also extends beyond the operating system. By January, Google will have to begin sharing anonymized search data with competing services, including developers of AI chatbots. The goal is to give those rivals access to more of the behavioral signals that help improve search and assistant products without exposing individual users. Google has not said whether it will challenge the ruling in court. Instead, the company has warned that the EU's demands could create new risks. "Today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security safeguards for millions of Europeans," Kent Walker, Google's general counsel, said in a statement. Google argues that allowing third-party developers to access sensitive data stored on a person's smartphone or in their search history could weaken the protections built into its products. European officials see it differently. The bloc has long taken a tough stance toward large technology platforms, and it views artificial intelligence as the next gateway to digital services. In their view, allowing a handful of companies to control the main AI assistants built into phones, browsers, and operating systems would entrench those players and shut out competitors. The legal basis for the ruling is the Digital Markets Act, a competition law that applies to gatekeeper companies such as Google and Apple. The DMA requires them to make their products interoperable so that outside developers can offer competing AI assistants alongside - or instead of - built-in options such as Google's Gemini and Apple's Siri. That requirement is already causing friction. In June, Apple said it would withhold new AI features for Siri in the European Union because it could not reach an agreement with regulators. As a result, iPhone users in the bloc will not receive the same Siri upgrades that Apple plans to roll out elsewhere, at least for now. At the same time, some AI companies are trying to sidestep the mobile platform issue entirely by developing their own hardware. Last year, OpenAI hired Jony Ive, Apple's former chief designer, to lead work on new AI-centric devices. The goal is to create products in which an AI assistant serves as the primary interface, rather than one that operates within another company's operating system. That partnership is now under strain. Last week, Apple sued OpenAI, accusing the company of stealing trade secrets. OpenAI has denied the allegations.

Google Ordered to Give A.I. Rivals More Access on Android Smartphones

The decision by European Union regulators is a response to fears that Google will use its vast Android user base to gain an edge in A.I. Google was ordered by European Union regulators on Thursday to lift restrictions that limit how rival A.I. companies can reach users of Android smartphones, a sign of increased government scrutiny of the booming business of artificial intelligence. The decision is a response to fears that Google will leverage the massive user base of Android, which powers about 60 percent of all smartphones in the European Union, to gain an edge in the growing A.I. market and undercut competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. As the daily use of artificial intelligence grows across society, an emerging commercial battleground is how to access users through their smartphones. A.I. companies believe that the more deeply an A.I. service is integrated into a person's hand-held device -- including email, photos and other apps -- the more a chatbot can serve as a personal assistant. Think of asking a chatbot to order a car service, suggest a response to a text message or provide information about a recently visited location. Google and Apple are seen as having a major advantage because the companies make the world's most used smartphone software, allowing them to set the rules for app developers trying to reach mobile users. On Thursday, E.U. regulators said the company would be required to give rival A.I. services "equal footing," including through voice commands and the ability to delegate actions in apps. The decision is binding and Google is required to implement the changes by July 2027. Google was also ordered to begin sharing anonymized search engine data with rivals, including makers of A.I. chatbots, by January 2027, in an attempt to create more competition. Google did not say if it planned to challenge the decisions in court. The company said European regulators risk creating new security and privacy vulnerabilities because outside developers will get access to sensitive information kept on a person's smartphone or search history. "Today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans," Kent Walker, Google's general counsel, said in a statement. The European Union has long been the world's most aggressive regulator of tech industry business practices and is now expanding its scrutiny into artificial intelligence. Authorities view the technology as the new entry point for people to access digital services and the online world. An E.U. competition law, the Digital Markets Act, requires large tech companies like Google and Apple to make their products interoperable. That means outside developers should be allowed to offer competing A.I. digital assistants instead of Google's Gemini and Apple's Siri. The competition law is creating friction. In June, Apple said it would withhold the release of new A.I. features for Siri in the European Union because it could not reach an agreement with regulators. At the same time, A.I. companies are taking steps to develop their own devices to loosen Apple and Google's grip. Last year, OpenAI hired Apple's former top designer, Jony Ive, to lead its efforts to develop new A.I.-centric hardware products. Last week, Apple sued OpenAI, accusing it of stealing company secrets. OpenAI denied the accusations.

Rival AI assistants could soon gain full access to Android features

Google has fiercely opposed the decision, warning that granting deep, system-level permissions to external apps bypasses hardware safety guardrails and risks a security catastrophe. The ongoing control war between Big Tech and European regulators has reached a boiling point. In a move that could reshape how we use our phones, the European Commission has issued strict new guidance to Google under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), demanding that the company open up Android to third-party AI assistants and share data from its crown jewel, Google Search. The decision is framed as a push for fair competition, but Google has immediately fired back (again), warning that forcing its hand could lead to a privacy and security catastrophe for millions of European users. According to the European Commission's official press release, the new mandates are designed to foster innovation and break Google's monopoly over mobile AI and search. By forcing Google to ensure full AI interoperability on Android and share anonymized search click and query data with rivals, the EU hopes to give alternative services (and competing AI models) a fighting chance. The European Commission notes that, currently, competing AI assistants on Android phones have limited access to key functionalities. Without this access, alternative AI assistants cannot compete on equal terms with Google's own AI services, which have full access. Third-party AI assistants are therefore limited in what they can offer Android users, making them less attractive to the 60% of EU users who use Android devices. Specifically for Android, today's decision by the European Commission will ensure that users can activate their preferred AI assistant via voice commands, similar to the "Hey Google" wake word trigger. Users will also be able to use third-party AI assistants to perform actions in apps on their behalf. The Commission also notes that the measures incorporate "robust safeguards to ensure that the privacy of users, device integrity, and security are protected." However, Google argues through its blog post that these requirements completely discount the realities of user safety. The company claims to have "repeatedly" offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA's goals, but the Commission's rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm. The tech giant warns that granting external apps deep, unrestricted access to Android's system-level permissions bypasses critical hardware-level security guardrails that device manufacturers usually vet. Furthermore, Google claims that sharing search data with unfamiliar companies puts user privacy, trade secrets, and even national security at risk. As the regulatory chess match continues to play out, European Android users may soon find themselves caught in the middle of a fractured ecosystem, forced to choose between the EU's vision of an open market and Google's established security wall.

You could soon ditch Gemini for another chatbot on Android, thanks to the EU

I've been covering Android and other mobile technology for close to ten years now, with a specific interest in phone accessories, e-readers, and what makes each individual phone different from another. I delight in looking at the phone market from as many angles as possible, and while my opinions may be odd, at times, they're always from the heart as much as the head. I have a background in the mobile accessories world, which explains my odd enthusiasm for cases and things that clip onto smartphones. I worked for Digital Trends from 2017 to 2025. The EU has demanded that Google open up Android to other AI chatbots, with the intention of leveling the playing field and making it easier to compete with Gemini and Google Search. This would take the form of allowing access to voice triggers like "Hey Google", but also giving access to data from Google Search as well. As you would expect, Google has reacted strongly against this, claiming there are safety and security concerns with allowing this sort of access to third parties. The EU claims Gemini has too big an advantage over the competition This is only the latest development in the war between the EU and big tech firms. Fresh off the and , the EU has now turned to the biggest new area of technology: AI. This demand has come in the form of new guidance in the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and is all about making sure competing AI chatbots have all the same tools that Gemini does. The EU's argument is that Android users cannot truly be free to pick AI chatbots other than Gemini for as long as Google holds a monopoly over information from Google Search, and deeper interactions within the operating system itself. It also wants users to be able to use a hotword like "Okay Google" or "Hey Google" to summon a different AI assistant. As mentioned, Google is not happy about this, and has claimed this will undercut the privacy and security of users. This is likely because of the massive expansions Google has made in Gemini's abilities recently, where the chatbot can now freely access data from across . It's not clear whether this mandate would include those areas, but Google presumably worries it would. What happens in the EU usually comes to the US Even though the EU has no power over what companies do in the US, what companies need to do in Europe usually ends up mattering in the US as well. Take the mandate on USB-C as a universal port as an example. Since companies aren't likely to create two designs for different markets, the need to use USB-C in the EU meant most devices in the US now follow that guidance. Otherwise, companies need to spend more money creating two different designs -- and companies rarely want to spend more money if they don't have to. However, unlike previous demands, which focused on hardware decisions, this time the EU is focusing on software. And because software is far easier to alter on a per-region basis, it's very likely that should this mandate come to pass, the US will not see the benefit. Instead, the question will be whether pressure now comes from other areas. Rival AI companies, for instance, will want to see the same benefits in the US as they may be getting in the EU. Consumers, too, may also have a strong preference for one chatbot over another. If US consumers see people in the EU getting freedoms they don't have, that could put more pressure on Google to echo it across the US as well. We're still in the very early stages of this particular tussle, and it remains to be seen how this will shake down. However, it's very clear the EU is content to continue poking its nose into all aspects of the tech world, so this is very unlikely to be the last time we see something like this.

Europe tells Google it must open Android phones to rivals' AI bots

Officials said the decision was aimed at promoting competition. Europe ordered Google on Thursday to make it easier for users of its Android phones to summon help from artificial intelligence assistants made by the company's competitors. Officials said in a statement that the move was designed to help other companies compete with Google, which has a commanding position in the European smartphone market. "Our decision will help smaller competitors, search engines, or AI assistants, to compete and provide that choice, while protecting the user's privacy," said Teresa Ribera, the European Commission's executive vice president for a clean, just and competitive transition. Google said external AI assistants can already access functions on Android phones, with vetting by manufacturers. "This Android ruling threatens device security by granting external apps sensitive and powerful device permissions without these safeguards," said Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs. The search and advertising giant makes Gemini, one of the leading AI models. The company has lagged rivals OpenAI and Anthropic in recent months. But it has the ability to integrate its AI into its existing apps, such as Gmail and maps, potentially giving it a significant advantage with consumers.

EU demands opening Android access and Search data to rivals, Google warns of privacy risks

The EU has ordered Google to crack open Android and Search to its rivals including other AI assistants, but Google warns that it's a privacy risk. As noted by The Verge, the EU has handed down two decisions today that affect how other brands - particularly those competing with Google - can access Android and use data from Google Search. Google has until January 2027 to start sharing Search data. Google, as a "gatekeeper," would be required to share Seatch data with not only other search companies/services, but also AI chatbots, the EU has now added. This would include the likes of OpenAI and Microsoft, among others. The other part of this is Android, where the EU is demanding that Google open up the same level of access to other AI assistants - ChatGPT, Claude, etc - as Gemini currently gets. As a pre-installed system app, Gemini has far more access to Android than third-party offerings, including the ability to interact with other apps, control hardware on the phone, and run its "Hey Google" background listening all of the time. There are many ways for third-party apps to implement features on this level, but it doesn't work quite as well as it does for something with the same level of access as Gemini. Google disagrees with the EU's decisions. Specifically, the company argues that the decisions "risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans." Google, in a public response on The Keyword, explains: The reality is that AI assistants already safely access Android's capabilities, with phone makers playing a key role in vetting them. This Android ruling threatens device security by granting external apps sensitive and powerful device permissions without these safeguards. This is occurring as the EU's own cybersecurity agency warns that "security fundamentals matter more than ever in the age of AI". Of particular concern, Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymisation of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security. As it stands, Google has until January 2027 to make needed changes to Search and data sharing, while changes in Android have until July 2027.

EU Orders Google to Give Rival AI Apps the Same Android Access as Gemini

The European Commission today formally ordered Google to give third-party AI services the same access to Android device features that Gemini has. Europe's Digital Markets Act requires software makers like Apple and Google to grant equal interoperability to third-party apps and services, and the EC is enforcing it. DMA interoperability rules are why Siri AI won't be available in the European Union when iOS 27 launches. While Apple tried to work out an agreement with regulators before launching Siri AI in Europe, Google did the opposite. Instead of asking, Google just launched Gemini integration on Android and opted to deal with the consequences afterward. Google's strategy gives Android users in Europe full Gemini access while it works on compliance with the DMA. The European Commission is giving Google a full year to implement changes that will meet the Digital Markets Act requirements, and that's before any legal appeals Google might make. The European Commission is making many of the same demands of Google that it made of Apple. Google must allow AI apps to access 11 features, such as: * AI services must be accessible through voice commands like "Hey Google" or through access points like the home button or another activation button. * AI services must be able to complete actions in and across apps, including completing long-running tasks in the background. * Google must allow AI services to access context from apps and device sensors so AI can offer proactive services and anticipate user needs. * Google has to give AI apps sufficient hardware and software resources, including access to its on-device AI models to execute tasks. Google is required to implement the majority of the European Commission's changes by August 1, 2027. Shortly after announcing Siri AI, Apple said EU regulators would not accept any of its proposed solutions to introduce the feature, and refused to engage on options that "preserve privacy and security." Apple wanted to use a Trusted System Agent that would allow third-party virtual assistants to safely access the same device capabilities as Siri AI. Apple said the Digital Markets Act would require it to give any AI system "nearly unlimited access to a user's device," along with the ability to act on that information autonomously. The European Commission claims Apple was "unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards" and instead asked for a blanket exemption from the interoperability requirements, which the EC did not grant. In response to the EC's mandate, Google said the requirements "risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans." Google hasn't given information on its next steps, but it says it plans to "continue advocating for a balanced approach that protects privacy and security while supporting market goals."

Google has to play fair with AI rivals on Android, and that could be good news for your wallet

A new ruling strips Gemini of its exclusive access to deep Android integration, opening the door for cheaper AI models to offer similar functionality for less. After forcing Google to open up Android to third-party app stores, the EU is back with a new target, and this time it's Gemini's home-field advantage. The European Commission ordered Google on July 16 to give rival AI apps the same deep access to Android that's currently exclusive to Gemini. The order falls under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), and it directs Google to stop treating its own assistant as a first-class citizen on a platform it controls. What Google now has to hand over Under the ruling, Google must allow competing AI apps to respond to voice triggers on Android the same way Gemini does, meaning users should be able to summon ChatGPT or Claude with similar wake words. Google also has to let those apps complete tasks across the device, including other apps and background processes, and give them the same access to context from apps and sensors that Gemini already uses to offer proactive help. The access even extends to hardware and on-device AI models, resources that currently only Gemini gets to use. Google has until August 1, 2027, to build all of this out, and it hasn't taken to it kindly, warning the changes put user privacy and security at risk. Google is complying, while Apple is stuck in limbo Apple hit a similar wall with the EU earlier this year. The DMA's interoperability rules would have required Apple to give competing AI services the same access to Siri and iOS that Apple Intelligence features get. Apple says it spent months negotiating alternative proposals, all of which EU regulators rejected, and confirmed Siri AI won't be included when iOS 27 launches in the EU, sharing no timeline for when it might arrive. Google is taking the opposite approach, building out access instead of pulling Gemini's AI features from the region. So nothing changes for Android users in the EU right away. Gemini will keep its head start until the 2027 deadline hits, but the countdown on that advantage has already started. How this ruling could lighten the load on your wallet The most immediate benefit here is choice. If you're already using ChatGPT or Claude, this ruling means those apps could eventually do things on your Android phone that only Gemini can do today. You wouldn't have to switch to Gemini to get that level of integration. Recommended Videos However, that level of access won't necessarily be free. Some of Gemini's most capable features, like screen automation, have limits based on your subscription tier. If ChatGPT and Claude build out similar Android integration, there's a good chance their versions will come with the same kind of paywall. That's where cheaper alternatives could matter. Models coming out of China, including DeepSeek, Kimi, and MiniMax, cost far less to run than Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude, anywhere from ten to a hundred times cheaper, depending on the model. Similar functionality built using these models could cost users a fraction of a typical subscription, once the same level of Android access becomes available to them. Whether that happens is still up in the air. What's certain is that Google no longer gets to make that decision alone.

EU orders Google to share search data with rivals by 2027; search giant complains about 'unfamiliar companies' in your grill | Fortune

The European Union issued two new rules for Google on Thursday to force it to share search data and open up its Android operating system to rival AI companies. In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. "Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing tech, said. The measure is the latest advancement of Brussels' growing rules and regulations that have given the 27-nation bloc a global leadership position in checking the power of tech juggernauts or "gatekeepers" like TikTok, which are largely based in China and the U.S. Recently, Brussels has pushed through efforts to ensure Google gives access to Gemini AI services to rival AI companies and search engines; forced Apple to add interoperability features to its devices to connect to non-Apple products; and demanded Meta dismantle " key addictive features " like infinite scrolling. Kent Walker, president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, said the new rules could backfire by removing safeguards that the company had built to protect user privacy like the vetting of third-party AI assistants. "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at EU tech regulation in the past. In issuing the two new rules, the commission said it found that AI agents not made by Google were unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Google's Gemini. Google must now allow voice-activation of these alternative AI agents and enable them to run background tasks like booking restaurants via third-party apps. By January 2027, Google must also begin sharing anonymized search data with some rivals. The commission said the move is meant to level the playing field since Google controls a vast trove of user data that no competitor can match.

EU tells Google to share search data, open Android to AI rivals

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) - The European Union demanded Thursday that Google share data with other search engines and open up its Android system to rival AI services, but the US giant said the measures would put privacy at risk. The move is the latest by Brussels against the behemoth as it seeks to flex its muscles over Big Tech. The order was made under the EU's flagship Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces the world's biggest tech firms to open to competition in a bid to give users more choice. The DMA is the bete noire of US President Donald Trump's administration, which accuses Brussels of unfairly targeting American companies. Brussels said Google must start sharing search data from January 2027 and users would start benefitting from the changes to Android from July 2027. "Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said. For example, the EU said Android phone users should be able to use their preferred AI chatbot via voice commands, similar to the "Hey Google" command. Privacy question The EU said sharing search data would "rebalance the playing field" but Google pushed back, saying the measures "introduce unprecedented risks to user privacy, device security, and national security". But Google's head of global affairs Kent Walker said the EU moves risked "undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans". He said AI assistants already could access Android and by sharing search data, "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymisation of the data and without user knowledge or consent". A senior European official insisted the EU "took integrity, security and privacy into utmost account", and Brussels said the decision would ensure anonymisation of search data. The demand is legally binding as part of a procedure launched in January, but it is not a formal probe that could lead to fines. The scrutiny of Google does not end there, however. The EU could hit Google with a fine next week in a separate investigation under the DMA law, sources close to the matter told AFP, confirming a report in the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday. The EU has the right to slap fines of up to 10 percent of a company's total global turnover for violating the DMA. Fines are nothing new for Google. The EU hit the company with fines worth a total of 8.2 billion euros between 2017 and 2019 under different competition rules. And in September last year, Brussels imposed a 2.95 billion euro fine in a separate antitrust case.

EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI services

Brussels said Google must start sharing search data from January 2027 and users would start benefitting from the changes to Android from July 2027. The European Union on Thursday ordered Google to share data with rival search engines and open up its Android operating system to competing AI services. "Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said. However, the US tech giant warned that the measures would put users' privacy at risk. The order was issued under the EU's flagship Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires the world's biggest tech companies to open up to competition in a bid to give users more choice. For example, the EU said Android users should be able to choose their preferred AI chatbot for voice commands, similar to the "Hey Google" feature. The DMA has been strongly criticised by US President Donald Trump's administration, which accuses Brussels of unfairly targeting American companies. Privacy concerns The EU said requiring Google to share search data would help "rebalance the playing field", but the company argued the measures would "introduce unprecedented risks to user privacy, device security, and national security." Google's head of global affairs, Kent Walker, said the EU moves risked "undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans." Walker argued that AI assistants already could access Android and by sharing search data, "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymisation of the data and without user knowledge or consent". A senior European official insisted the EU "took integrity, security and privacy into utmost account", and Brussels said the decision would ensure anonymisation of search data. The measures are legally binding under a procedure launched in January, although they are not part of a formal investigation that could lead to fines. Google could nevertheless face further action. The EU could hit Google with a fine next week in a separate investigation under the DMA law, sources close to the matter told AFP, confirming a report in the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday. The EU has the right to slap fines of up to 10 percent of a company's total global turnover for violating the DMA. Brussels hit the company with fines worth a total of 8.2 billion euros between 2017 and 2019 under different competition rules. In September last year, the EU imposed a €2.95 billion fine in a separate antitrust case.

EU forces Google to share data and access to competitors

Google warns new orders could put EU users' privacy at risk. The European Union is forcing Google to level the playing field for competitors in the bloc in its latest attempt to curtail Big Tech dominance in the region. According to the Commission, competitors must have the same level of access to features on Android as Google, to ensure that their AI services can compete with the likes of Gemini. A second order asks the tech giant to offer third-party engines access to search data that only Google can collect given its scale and reach. The company has until January 2027 to begin sharing its search data, and until July 2027 to open up Android to competing AI providers. These orders result from EU proceedings that try to detail how the bloc's strict Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules should be implemented for proper compliance. The Commission began these particular deliberations this January. In its decision yesterday (16 July), the EU argued that competing AI assistants on Android devices have restricted access to the operating system's functionalities. Without this, third-party providers are limited in how they offer their services, making them less attractive to 60pc of Android users in the bloc, the Commission said. The order, the EU said, would ensure users can activate their preferred AI assistant via voice commands like "Hey Google" and use third-party AI agents on devices. The Commission also wants Google to share anonymised search data with competing search engines that it would use to optimise its own services. "[Google] was removing between 90 and 100pc of unique search queries from the dataset. "It was also unduly restricting the potential pool of beneficiaries by excluding AI chatbots that provide search services. As a result, there has been no meaningful uptake by potential beneficiaries," the EU said. Google, however, has the right to access privacy and security risks before sharing any data. Kent Walker, Google and Alphabet's president of global affairs said that the orders "risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans". "We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA's goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm." Walker argued that third-party AI assistants can already "safely" access Android functionalities. Phone manufacturers play a key role in vetting eligible AI providers, he added. This ruling "threatens device security by granting external apps sensitive and powerful device permissions without these safeguards". Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

EU orders Google to share search data with rivals, broaden Android feature access

The European Union today directed Google LLC to change some of its business practices in the search and mobile markets. Officials outlined the required changes in two documents known as binding specification measures. The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, issued the orders under a piece of legislation called the DMA. It's designed to prevent tech giants from engaging in anticompetitive practices. Google tracks how consumers interact with its search engine and uses the data to refine results pages. For example, it might boost the ranking of a manufacturer's website if users frequently click on it when performing product research. The data that Google collects about consumer search habits is the first focus of the EU's regulatory action. Officials have ordered the Alphabet Inc. unit to share its search data with rivals. According to the EU, the goal is to make it easier for other companies to compete in the search engine market. Officials envision Google competitors using the data to enhance the quality of their query results. Google may only share the data with companies that operate search engines or chatbots with search features. Furthermore, those companies can use the information for the sole purpose of enhancing their search services. The data may not be used for unrelated tasks such as ad personalization. Google will have to anonymize the information before sending it to third parties. In particular, the company must remove personal data using a "multi-layered" method specified by the EU. Google will undergo an annual audit designed to ensure that it applies the method effectively. The second order that the EU issued today focuses on Android. Currently, the Android version of Google's Gemini AI assistant uses several operating system features that aren't accessible to competing apps. The EU has instructed the company to make those capabilities available to rivals. The changes will enable users to activate third party AI assistants with their voice. Additionally, the order is expected to facilitate the development of more advanced automation features. AI assistants will be capable of taking actions in other apps on the user's behalf. The EU has ordered Google to update its search engine by year's end, while the Android changes must be implemented by next June. The Alphabet unit pushed back against the directive in a blog post. "Today's decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans," stated Kent Walker, the president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet. "We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA's goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm." The development comes as the EU reportedly prepares to fine Google hundreds of millions of euros for breaching the DMA. The antitrust action is related to two recently concluded competition probes. One determined that Google placed unnecessary restrictions on Android developers' ability to promote their apps. The other probe found that the company prioritized its own services over rivals in search results.

EU forces Google to share search data and open Android to rival AI companies

BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union issued two new rules for Google on Thursday to force it to share search data and open up its Android operating system to rival AI companies. In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. "Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing tech, said. The measure is the latest advancement of Brussels' growing rules and regulations that have given the 27-nation bloc a global leadership position in checking the power of tech juggernauts or "gatekeepers" like TikTok, which are largely based in China and the U.S. Recently, Brussels has pushed through efforts to ensure Google gives access to Gemini AI services to rival AI companies and search engines; forced Apple to add interoperability features to its devices to connect to non-Apple products; and demanded Meta dismantle " key addictive features " like infinite scrolling. Kent Walker, president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, said the new rules could backfire by removing safeguards that the company had built to protect user privacy like the vetting of third-party AI assistants. "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at EU tech regulation in the past. In issuing the two new rules, the commission said it found that AI agents not made by Google were unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Google's Gemini. Google must now allow voice-activation of these alternative AI agents and enable them to run background tasks like booking restaurants via third-party apps. By January 2027, Google must also begin sharing anonymized search data with some rivals. The commission said the move is meant to level the playing field since Google controls a vast trove of user data that no competitor can match.

EU orders Google to share search data and open Android system to AI rivals

The European Union on Thursday ordered Google to share its search data with rival search engines and open Android to competing AI services under its Digital Markets Act, in its latest move to curb Big Tech's dominance. Google has warned the measures could jeopardise user privacy - and national security - while Brussels said the changes would expand consumer choice. The European Union demanded Thursday that Google share data with other search engines and open up its Android system to rival AI services, but the US giant said the measures would put privacy at risk. The move is the latest by Brussels against the behemoth as it seeks to flex its muscles over Big Tech. The order was made under the EU's flagship Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces the world's biggest tech firms to open to competition in a bid to give users more choice. The DMA is the bête noire of US President Donald Trump's administration, which accuses Brussels of unfairly targeting American companies. Read moreTrump signs order seeking govt access to new AI releases Brussels said Google must start sharing search data from January 2027 and users would start benefitting from the changes to Android from July 2027. "Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said. For example, the EU said Android phone users should be able to use their preferred AI chatbot via voice commands, similar to the "Hey Google" command. Privacy question The EU said sharing search data would "rebalance the playing field" but Google pushed back, saying the measures "introduce unprecedented risks to user privacy, device security, and national security". But Google's head of global affairs Kent Walker said the EU moves risked "undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans". Read moreDigital sovereignty (1/3): Have Trump's threats spurred a European awakening? He said AI assistants already could access Android and by sharing search data, "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymisation of the data and without user knowledge or consent". A senior European official insisted the EU "took integrity, security and privacy into utmost account", and Brussels said the decision would ensure anonymisation of search data. The demand is legally binding as part of a procedure launched in January, but it is not a formal probe that could lead to fines. The scrutiny of Google does not end there, however. The EU could hit Google with a fine next week in a separate investigation under the DMA law, sources close to the matter told AFP, confirming a report in the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday. The EU has the right to slap fines of up to 10 percent of a company's total global turnover for violating the DMA. Fines are nothing new for Google. The EU hit the company with fines worth a total of 8.2 billion euros between 2017 and 2019 under different competition rules. And in September last year, Brussels imposed a 2.95 billion euro fine in a separate antitrust case.

EU Forces Google to Share Search Data and Open Android to Rival AI Companies

BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union issued two new rules for Google on Thursday to force it to share search data and open up its Android operating system to rival AI companies. In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. "Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing tech, said. The measure is the latest advancement of Brussels' growing rules and regulations that have given the 27-nation bloc a global leadership position in checking the power of tech juggernauts or "gatekeepers" like TikTok, which are largely based in China and the U.S. Recently, Brussels has pushed through efforts to ensure Google gives access to Gemini AI services to rival AI companies and search engines; forced Apple to add interoperability features to its devices to connect to non-Apple products; and demanded Meta dismantle " key addictive features " like infinite scrolling. Kent Walker, president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, said the new rules could backfire by removing safeguards that the company had built to protect user privacy like the vetting of third-party AI assistants. "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at EU tech regulation in the past. In issuing the two new rules, the commission said it found that AI agents not made by Google were unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Google's Gemini. Google must now allow voice-activation of these alternative AI agents and enable them to run background tasks like booking restaurants via third-party apps. By January 2027, Google must also begin sharing anonymized search data with some rivals. The commission said the move is meant to level the playing field since Google controls a vast trove of user data that no competitor can match.

EU forces Google to share search data, open Android to rival AI companies

In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. The European Union issued two new rules for Google on Thursday to force it to share search data and open up its Android operating system to rival AI companies. In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. "Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing tech, said. The measure is the latest advancement of Brussels' growing rules and regulations that have given the 27-nation bloc a global leadership position in checking the power of tech juggernauts or "gatekeepers" like TikTok, which are largely based in China and the US. Recently, Brussels has pushed through efforts to ensure Google gives access to Gemini AI services to rival AI companies and search engines; forced Apple to add interoperability features to its devices to connect to non-Apple products; and demanded Meta dismantle "key addictive features" like infinite scrolling. Kent Walker, president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, said the new rules could backfire by removing safeguards that the company had built to protect user privacy like the vetting of third-party AI assistants. "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymisation of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he said in a statement. US President Donald Trump has lashed out at EU tech regulation in the past. In issuing the two new rules, the commission said it found that AI agents not made by Google were unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Google's Gemini. Google must now allow voice-activation of these alternative AI agents and enable them to run background tasks like booking restaurants via third-party apps. By January 2027, Google must also begin sharing anonymised search data with some rivals. The commission said the move is meant to level the playing field since Google controls a vast trove of user data that no competitor can match.

Google and Apple are clashing with the EU over the future of AI assistants

Google and Apple have a big leg up in the AI race: their control of billions of smartphones around the world. That's according to the European Commission, which is now cracking down on what that means for AI assistants. Apple and Google have long dominated the smartphone market, combining for roughly 5 billion active Android phones and iPhones worldwide, according to market research firm Omdia. And as AI continues to become more ubiquitous and specialized, the two tech giants are enabling their AI assistants to help complete tasks rather than just answer questions. But the European Commission wants other virtual assistants to be just as prominent on smartphones as Google's Gemini and Apple's Siri. It's now demanding that Google give other AI agents broader access to Android by July 2027. The EU's mandate is part of the Digital Markets Act, a set of Big Tech regulations that went into effect in the region in 2023. The European Commission believes this new mandate could help level the playing field in the AI race. About 427 million iPhones and Android phones fall under EU regulation, according to Omdia. Apple and Google, however, say opening up their platforms could raise serious privacy concerns. Apple announced in June that it would not launch its new Siri AI assistant on iPhones and iPads in the EU because of the Digital Markets Act. Experts agree that allowing external services to access Apple's and Google's operating systems could be dangerous for security and user privacy. But some also question whether privacy is Google's primary motivation for pushing back on the EU's rules. "I would say that we have to take these tech companies' arguments with a grain of salt and look at whether they've cared about privacy up to the point where suddenly a decision was affecting them in ways they don't like," Calli Schroeder, senior counsel and director of the AI & Human Rights program at the Electronic Privacy and Information Center, told CNN. Opening up Android The commission wants EU Android users to have a "wider and more feature-rich range of options to choose from, both when it comes to their AI services on Android and to search services," according to a press release last week. EU users should be able to access other AI agents with their voice and use third-party AI agents to operate apps on their behalf on Android as they would with Gemini, the commission says. It also wants Google to share search data with other search engines and AI chatbots so that other companies can offer a similar experience to Google Search. Google must start sharing search data in January under the new mandate. Google says the Android changes would pose a major security risk because it would give external apps "sensitive and powerful device permissions," Kent Walker, Google and Alphabet's president of global affairs, wrote in a statement on Thursday. He added that sharing search data would also "weaken citizen privacy, risk business trade secrets and endanger national security." Sameer Samat, Google's Android president, said in an X post on Friday that the European Commission "is on the wrong track" with its rules and that users can choose to switch to another assistant on their own. Android phones have an option to change the default AI assistant in the settings menu. Apple cited similar privacy concerns, saying the EU's requirements would force Apple to "give any virtual assistant direct access to users' private data." Apple said it proposed solutions that were rejected by the EU but it will continue to work with regulators. A European Commission spokesperson said it has been in regular contact with Apple on the matter. Large tech companies that fall under the DMA, known as gatekeepers, "can implement appropriate privacy, security and integrity safeguards," the spokesperson said. The enforcement of regulations like the Digital Markets Act could also potentially impact Apple and Google's influence over their smartphone software. ChatGPT is already installed on about 30% of EU smartphones, and the EU's rules could give OpenAI a further edge, Bjorhovde wrote. "The question is what the implications for Google or the consumer might be if the user can utilize ChatGPT to book an Uber, completely bypassing the need to engage with Android," Runar Bjorhovde, an analyst with Omdia, told CNN over email. Privacy concerns The EU's new mandate also highlights critical questions over privacy in the AI era -- and the challenges tech companies and regulators face in solving them. Without proper protections built into the software, giving apps deeper access to Android or iOS could allow them to sneakily siphon information from users' phones, Schroeder said. And what happens if the AI assistant malfunctions? The consequences could be critical if an agent has access to a user's messages, location, and their device's screen and microphones. "It could exercise the user's delegated authority to do other things that maybe the user might not have wanted it to happen," said Michael Stokes, senior vice president of emerging technologies at Veilant, a company that sells secure infrastructure and communications products. If AI agents are granted those types of permissions, phone makers like Samsung would be the ones to make those decisions and vet them, Google says. Advancements in technology have historically required some type of privacy tradeoff, like giving apps access to your location for more accurate recommendations. But AI systems are often trained by scraping huge amounts of data from the internet, which could include a user's personal information without their knowledge. "We also want to make sure that users are aware of the risks they're taking when they engage with AI systems," Schroeder said. "And I think that awareness is where we really need to catch up a little bit more."

EU forces Google to share search data and open Android to rival AI companies

BRUSSELS -- The European Union issued two new rules for Google on Thursday to force it to share search data and open up its Android operating system to rival AI companies. In the latest attempt to rein in tech behemoths' deep control of the digital economy, the EU said it will support innovation and diversity in the field by enabling fair access to AI features on Android devices and search engines. "Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing tech, said. The measure is the latest advancement of Brussels' growing rules and regulations that have given the 27-nation bloc a global leadership position in checking the power of tech juggernauts or "gatekeepers" like TikTok, which are largely based in China and the U.S. Recently, Brussels has pushed through efforts to ensure Google gives access to Gemini AI services to rival AI companies and search engines; forced Apple to add interoperability features to its devices to connect to non-Apple products; and demanded Meta dismantle " key addictive features " like infinite scrolling. Kent Walker, president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, said the new rules could backfire by removing safeguards that the company had built to protect user privacy like the vetting of third-party AI assistants. "Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at EU tech regulation in the past. In issuing the two new rules, the commission said it found that AI agents not made by Google were unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Google's Gemini. Google must now allow voice-activation of these alternative AI agents and enable them to run background tasks like booking restaurants via third-party apps. By January 2027, Google must also begin sharing anonymized search data with some rivals. The commission said the move is meant to level the playing field since Google controls a vast trove of user data that no competitor can match.

EU Gives Google Binding Instructions to Open Android to AI Rivals --Update

The European Union gave Alphabet's Google binding instructions to open up its Android operating system and search engine data to services that compete with its own tools. The European Commission said on Thursday that rival AI assistants have restricted access to key features of Google's Android operating system and aren't able to compete equally with the tech group's own services. The EU executive said that users should be able to activate their AI assistant of choice on Android devices via voice command in the same way they can activate Google's assistant, and use them to perform tasks such as booking taxis. It also said the measures it has issued "incorporate robust safeguards to ensure that the privacy of users, device integrity and security are protected." Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, said in a statement that the commission's decisions risk undermining privacy and security guardrails for Europeans. Officials also told Google to share some search data with competing search engines, including AI chatbots that have search features. It follows initial findings previously sent to Google earlier this year. Thursday's decision gives the company binding instructions. "Of particular concern, Europeans' private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent," Walker said. "This would weaken citizens' privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security," he added. The commission said that Google can assess whether sharing some data with a particular company poses cyber security and data protection risks before it is shared, and that officials could amend their decision in future. It comes after the EU executive opened proceedings to tell Google how to bring some of its services in line with the bloc's Digital Markets Act, which gives a handful of the world's largest tech companies a list of do's and don'ts aiming to level the playing field in the digital economy. Companies classed as tech gatekeepers under the law can receive fines of up to 10% of their annual worldwide turnover if the commission decides they are flouting the rules. "Society is going through a profound digital transformation. We need to keep that process fair and ensure that our citizens have choice," Teresa Ribera, the bloc's competition commissioner, said in a statement.

EU Gives Google Binding Instructions to Open Android, Search Engine Data to AI Rivals

The European Union gave Alphabet's Google binding instructions to open up its Android operating system and search engine data to AI services that compete with its own tools such as Gemini. The European Commission said on Thursday that rival AI assistants have restricted access to key features of Google's Android operating system and aren't able to compete equally with the tech group's own services. The EU executive said that users should be able to activate their AI assistant of choice on Android devices via voice command in the same way they can activate Google's assistant, and use them to perform tasks such as booking taxis. It also said the measures it has issued "incorporate robust safeguards to ensure that the privacy of users, device integrity and security are protected." Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, said in a statement that the commission's decisions risk undermining privacy and security guardrails for Europeans. Officials also told Google to share some search data with competing search engines, including AI chatbots that have search features. It follows initial findings previously sent to Google earlier this year. Thursday's decision gives the company binding instructions.