EU Forces Google to Open Android to Third-Party AI Assistants (Update)

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The EU Commission’s crackdown on Google as the operator of multiple platforms (Search, Android, etc.) continues: After a massive fine of €4.1 billion for favoring its own services on Android, the next big blow has now arrived.

On Thursday, the EU Commission issued two legally binding specification decisions against Google. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the company will be required, on the one hand, to grant third-party AI assistants equal access to core functions of the Android operating system and, on the other hand, to share anonymized search data with competing search engines. Brussels had opened the two proceedings at the end of January 2026.

Android Soon Open to Gemini Rivals

Until now, AI assistants from competitors have had only limited access to the most important functions of the operating system on Android smartphones — unlike Google’s own AI services such as Gemini, which enjoy full access. In the Commission’s view, this makes alternative assistants less attractive to the roughly 60 percent of EU users who own an Android device.

The first decision is meant to change that. Specifically, users will in future be able to activate their preferred AI assistant via voice command — analogous to the familiar “Hey Google.” In addition, third-party assistants are to be able to carry out actions in apps on users’ behalf: booking a taxi, for example, suggesting replies in chat apps, or answering questions about recently visited places. According to the Commission, the measures include safeguards designed to protect privacy, device integrity, and security.

In practice, this could mean: Anyone who prefers ChatGPT, Claude, Mistral’s Le Chat, or Perplexity could in future integrate these assistants into Android as deeply as only Gemini can today — including voice activation and agentic functions across app boundaries. For the growing number of providers of agentic AI services, including those from Europe, this potentially opens up a distribution channel that has so far been effectively reserved for Google.

Search Data: AI Chatbots with Search Functions Also Eligible

The second decision specifies how Google must share search data with other search engines. The background: Only Google Search collects usage data on a scale that is crucial for training and optimizing search algorithms. Smaller providers — including privacy-focused alternatives — cannot get anywhere near comparable data volumes.

Google has in fact been obligated since March 2024 to provide access to anonymized search data (Article 6(11) DMA). However, the Commission considered the company’s data-sharing offer to date ineffective. The new decision therefore clarifies several points:

• AI chatbots with search functions are also entitled to receive shared data — a clarification that is relevant, for instance, for providers of AI search services.
• Subject to anonymization, Google is to share the same data it collects to optimize its own search services.
• Anonymization follows a multi-layered method developed together with internal and external data protection experts and in line with the draft joint guidelines by the Commission and the European Data Protection Board on the interplay between the DMA and the GDPR.
• Before sharing, Google may assess whether sharing data with a specific third party poses serious risks to cybersecurity and data protection.
• The measures also establish a pricing formula for the shared data and a transparent access procedure.

Depending on market developments — including on the basis of an assessment by independent third parties — the Commission may amend the decision at a later stage, particularly with regard to the anonymization measures.

Timeline: Search Data from January 2027, Android Changes from July 2027

The specification decisions are legally binding. Google must begin sharing search data with eligible search engine providers as of January 2027. Users are to benefit from the changes to Android starting in July 2027. The decisions remain subject to independent judicial review — meaning Google can take legal action.

Important for context: Specification proceedings are not non-compliance investigations. They clarify how an existing DMA obligation is to be implemented and do not provide for fines.

“Our decision will help smaller competitors, search engines or AI assistants to compete and to offer that choice, while protecting users’ privacy,” said Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera. Her colleague Henna Virkkunen, responsible for tech sovereignty, invited “all developers, big and small” to explore the new opportunities.

Google fears risks for users

Google issued the following statement:

“Today’s decisions 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.

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.

We must now have a flexible and evidence-based implementation process that will consider the significant harms and benefits – and adjust measures accordingly. We will continue advocating for a balanced approach that protects privacy and security while supporting market goals.”

What Is the DMA?

The Digital Markets Act is the EU regulatory framework designed to ensure contestable and fair digital markets. It regulates so-called gatekeepers — large platforms that act as an important gateway between business users and consumers and can thereby create bottlenecks in the digital economy. The DMA is intended to prevent these companies from unfairly tipping markets in their favor and to rebalance competition in long-established markets such as web search.

Google was designated a gatekeeper in September 2023 with eight services — including Google Search, Android, Chrome, Google Play, Maps, and YouTube. Since March 7, 2024, the company has been required to fully comply with all applicable DMA obligations for these services. These include the obligation to provide effective interoperability with Android functions (Article 6(7) DMA) and access to anonymized search data for third parties (Article 6(11) DMA) — precisely the two obligations that the Commission has now spelled out with today’s decisions.