Google must open Android to rival AI assistants. The European Commission has decided this.

On Thursday, July 16, the European Commission issued two binding decisions aimed at opening Android to competition in the field of artificial intelligence within the European Union. Google will have to allow third-party assistants access to phone features it has so far reserved for its own Gemini, and at the same time share some data from its search engine. The company disagrees with the approach and warns of privacy and security risks.

What exactly must Google change in Android?

The Commission refers to both decisions as specification steps under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The first concerns interoperability: rival assistants are to gain equal access to Android system features that only Gemini fully utilizes today. According to the Commission, up to 60 percent of Android users in the Union cannot easily set up an alternative service.

Approximately eleven categories of features are to be opened up. These include voice activation via a so-called activation word (similar to “Hey Google”), task completion across applications – such as ordering a taxi, writing emails, or calendar entries – as well as proactive suggestions, real-time translation, and access to models running directly on the phone, such as Gemini Nano. Everything is to work for free, only with the explicit consent of the user and across the entire Android ecosystem, meaning also on devices from Samsung, Xiaomi, and other manufacturers.

What will Google share from search?

The second decision concerns search. Google will have to share some of the data it collects on user queries at scale with rival search engines and so-called AI chatbots. The data is to undergo multi-layered anonymization designed in cooperation with privacy experts and in compliance with GDPR rules; furthermore, the company may conduct a security assessment before sharing it. According to the Commission, a transparent data access procedure and a fair monetization model are also to be established.

Google must open Android to rival AI assistants. The European Commission has decided this. Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

The timeline is divided. Google is to start sharing search data from January 2027, and implement Android changes by early summer 2027 – i.e., with the arrival of the next major system version. Some details, such as simultaneous listening for the activation word for multiple assistants, may be introduced later, according to available information. If Google fails to comply with the rules, the Commission may impose a fine of up to 10 percent of its worldwide annual turnover.

How does Google react to the decision?

Google disagrees with the decision. According to its Chief Legal Officer, Kent Walker, today’s move “threatens the privacy and security protections that are essential for millions of Europeans.” The company stated that it had proposed alternative solutions, but the Commission, according to Google, did not take into account evidence of potential risks to users. Google will likely appeal the decision, but must comply with it in the meantime.

The Digital Markets Act targets the largest technology platforms, and Google is among these so-called gatekeepers, meaning it is subject to the strictest obligations. Thursday’s decision specifies exactly how it must fulfill these obligations for Android and search.

Would you welcome an assistant other than Gemini on your Android?

Sources: European Commission, The Verge, Notebookcheck