The European Union has taken one of its strongest steps yet to reshape competition in the tech industry, ordering Google to open key Android features to rival AI assistants and share valuable Google Search data with competing search engines.
The move comes under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and is the clearest sign yet that Europe’s landmark tech law is moving beyond promises into enforcement.
Google Must Open Android to Rival AI Assistants
The European Commission issued two legally binding specification measures that require Google to give competing AI assistants the same access to Android features that its own Gemini assistant enjoys. This is because third-party AI assistants currently have limited access to many important Android capabilities, making it harder for them to match Gemini’s experience on Google devices.
But under the new rules, Google must make 11 specific Android system-level features interoperable with rival AI services by the next major Android release in July 2027. This is meant to allow developers to build assistants that can interact more deeply with apps, respond to voice activation, and access device features with user permission rather than being restricted by Google’s platform controls.
The Commission said the goal is to ensure that users can choose AI assistants based on quality instead of platform restrictions. It also believes the changes will create more opportunities for smaller AI developers to compete in a market that is increasingly dominated by large technology companies.
Google Search Data Must be Shared
The Commission also ordered Google to share anonymized search data with eligible rival search engines. Regulators said Google’s existing data sharing system has not produced meaningful competition because it does not provide access to the scale of information Google uses to improve its own search engine.
Under the binding measures, Google must provide access to the search data it relies on to improve Search, while maintaining privacy protections through anonymization. The Commission expects this to help competing search engines improve the quality and relevance of their own products.
Eligible providers are expected to receive access beginning in January 2027.
The Digital Markets Act Enters a New Phase
The decisions mark a significant moment for the Digital Markets Act, which was introduced to prevent major technology companies known as gatekeepers from using their dominant positions to block competition.
According to Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera, the measures are designed to ensure that Europe’s digital transformation gives consumers real choice while protecting privacy. Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen added that the rules are intended to encourage innovation by allowing both large and small developers to compete more fairly in AI assistants and search.
The orders also arrive just days before the Commission imposed €890 million in DMA fines on Google over separate findings involving self-preferencing in Search and anti-steering restrictions in Google Play. Together, the actions show the Commission is pairing financial penalties with detailed compliance requirements instead of relying on fines alone.
What Happens Next
Google is expected to implement the required changes according to the timelines set by the Commission. If the search giant fails to comply, it could face further enforcement action under the Digital Markets Act.
For the wider technology industry, the decision could reshape how AI assistants compete on Android devices and how search engines gain access to the data needed to improve their services. It also signals that Europe’s digital competition rules are beginning to have practical effects on how the world’s largest technology platforms operate.
