The European Commission is pressing Android to open more of its AI-related functions to third-party services. The issue is not limited to app design or surface-level features, but to the technical layers that decide whether assistants other than Gemini can operate on equal terms.
That pressure comes from Android’s position as a “gatekeeper” under the Digital Markets Act, where core platform access is expected to be fairer for competing services. In the Commission’s view, several important Android capabilities still favor Google’s own assistant ecosystem, creating an uneven field for other AI developers.
Three technical areas under scrutiny
The Commission is focusing on three capabilities that shape how deeply an AI assistant can be embedded in the device. These include wake words, app interaction for context and task execution, and access to hardware and software resources that help an assistant stay responsive.
That focus matters because the debate is not only about whether another assistant can be installed. It is about whether that assistant can function with the same level of integration as Google’s own services.
One example already drawing attention is the long-press shortcut on the navigation bar. On Android, that action can trigger Gemini, pull contextual data, and place information on top of the screen.
The Commission says that behavior is effectively tied to Google’s Circle to Search and is not available on equal terms to third-party developers. If that access remains exclusive in practice, competing assistants would struggle to offer a similar user experience.
Wake words and context access are central issues
A separate concern involves always-on wake words. At present, the mechanism is mapped to “Hey Google,” while the Commission wants Android to allow other developers to define their own wake words as well.
That request reflects a broader concern about whether third-party assistants can be activated as naturally as Google’s own tools. Without equal activation paths, competition remains limited before an assistant even begins processing a request.
The regulator is also looking at access to app data stored on the device. According to the explanation cited by the Commission, such data can be reached only through AppSearch permissions.
The problem, as described by the Commission, is that AppSearch access is granted only to the default assistant and cannot be extended to third-party assistants. That restriction could limit how well another AI service understands user context or carries out full commands.
Google pushes back on the proposal
Alphabet has rejected the Commission’s approach and says the intervention goes too far. In an email to Reuters, Alphabet Senior Competition Counsel said the move would remove device autonomy, force access to sensitive hardware and permissions, increase costs, and weaken privacy and security protections for European users.
That response shows how Google frames the issue as more than a competition dispute. The company is arguing that wider access to device functions could create technical, privacy, and security risks.
The clash now sits between two strong positions. Regulators want equal access for rivals, while the platform argues that opening sensitive layers of Android may have unintended consequences for users and developers alike.
A familiar pattern in Europe’s tech oversight
The Android case also fits a pattern seen elsewhere in the tech industry. Apple faced similar scrutiny when some of its features remained exclusive to its own services, including access to the NFC chip on iPhone for Apple Pay.
After that pressure, NFC access was eventually opened to third-party services, though concerns did not disappear entirely. The example shows how European regulators have repeatedly pushed for broader access to core device features when a platform is seen as too dominant.
In Android’s case, AI has become the latest arena where that same logic is being tested. The outcome of the public consultation and the Commission’s next steps will help determine whether third-party AI services can gain fuller access to wake words, app context, and fast activation paths beyond Gemini.
