Google will be required to give qualifying rival AI assistants access to key Android capabilities in the European Union. The move could give users more ways to summon an assistant by voice rather than relying only on Gemini.
The new access is expected to arrive with the next Android version from July 2027. Rival services could use it for everyday tasks, including ordering a taxi or finding location information.
A Wider Choice of Assistants
The European Commission has ordered Google to open 11 Android features that have been used by its internal services, including Gemini. The requirement falls under the Digital Markets Act, the EU regulation designed to curb the power of major technology companies.
The Commission said the measure is intended to provide fairer access to Google services for competing AI developers and search engines. Regulators carried out a six-month process to ensure that Google complies with the DMA requirements.
Opening these functions could reduce the advantage held by an assistant built directly into the operating system. However, access will not be available automatically to every company seeking to use the features.
Security and Privacy Remain Conditions
Only services that meet security and privacy standards will be eligible to use the new Android access. Google may assess individual requests to ensure that an applicant does not create cybersecurity or data-protection risks.
The Commission said safeguards have been prepared to protect devices and user data. This means the policy combines broader competition with conditions intended to preserve protections for Android users.
| Google Obligation | Potential Recipients | Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Open 11 key Android features | AI assistant services meeting security and privacy conditions | From July 2027 |
| Share search optimisation data | OpenAI and AI chatbot developers with search functions | January next year |
Search Data Will Also Be Shared
The EU requirements extend beyond Android functions for AI assistants on Android. Google must also share data used to optimise its search engine with OpenAI and other AI chatbot developers that offer search functions.
The data must be anonymised before it is provided to other parties. The European Commission has also set a formula for calculating the cost of accessing the information.
The search-data sharing arrangement is due to begin in January next year. It is designed to give competing search services and chatbots a stronger opportunity to develop capabilities that are useful to users.
EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen said the policy should create more choice in Europe’s digital market. “Through these measures, we hope alternatives to Google Search and Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, will emerge, so that users in the European Union have more service choices,” she said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
Google Warns of User Risks
Google has objected to the new obligations, arguing that they could weaken important protections for people in Europe. Google legal counsel Kent Walker said the company had repeatedly proposed solutions it believes could protect users while meeting the DMA’s goals.
“Today’s decision risks weakening privacy and security protections that are critical for millions of Europeans,” Walker said in an email. He added that the regulator had overlooked evidence submitted by Google about potential consequences for users.
The Commission maintains that security and privacy requirements remain central to both Android access and search-data sharing. The implementation will be closely watched as a test of whether the DMA can expand competition without compromising user protections.