Google ordered to open up Android and Search to European competitors

Google is to give AI assistants and search engines access to key features of Android and Google Search after the European Union ordered the company to comply with the bloc’s digital neutrality rules.

The two of them electionsissued on Thursday, could weaken Google’s power in two of the most important areas of the technology industry and have further consequences for the company, shaping the future of its AI tool Gemini, and opening new opportunities for rivals to gain ground.

These decisions are based on technical activities managed by the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires large platforms – designated “gatekeepers” – to provide the same level of competition for performance and data as they enjoy. Unlike the financial penalty, these measures require Google to change the way it works in order to fulfill its obligations in accordance with the DMA and are made through a large-scale intervention between the company and the regulators.

These two articles focus on different but similar aspects of Google’s business: How AI assistants can be used on Android, and how competing search engines and other AI chatbots can access data generated by Google Search.

The Android concept shows how Google should give AI assistants the same kind of machine learning and access to data that it offers Gemini. In theory, it requires greater coordination, allowing users – not Google – to decide whether competing devices can access their data and device hardware. This can include the ability to interact with apps, respond to voice commands like “Hey Google,” and take full advantage of the phone’s features. This means that Android users can choose ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or other providers as more integrated providers instead of Gemini, which has similar access to tools.

The second post focuses on Google Search and the data it generates, showing how competing search engines and AI services can access information stored by Google. In particular, the EU said this includes AI chatbots, which act as search engines in some cases. The data sharing process is closely related to the methods implemented in the US research antitrust casewhere Google was instructed to share search engine data with competitors that would help strengthen their competitive advantage.

Google has rejected both approaches, arguing that they pose an unacceptable risk to users’ privacy and security, as well as disrupting its business. The EU said that there will be limits on how searches can be used and that Google will be able to see which services can be accessed deep into Android to ensure that safety and security are not compromised.

“With today’s action, we want to support creativity and diversity in the European Union, and enable fair competition in the markets of AI assistants for Android devices and search engines,” said the European Commission’s senior vice president for technology rights, security, and democracy Henna Virkkunen. “Thanks to these methods we hope to see other ways to come in Google Search and Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy a wider choice of services. All developers, big and small, are welcome to explore this new opportunity, which will also help users.”

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