EU Orders Google To Open Android And Search Data To AI Rivals Under Digital Markets Act

(RTTNews) - The European Commission has ordered Alphabet's (GOOG) Google to give artificial intelligence developers and search competitors greater access to Android features and Google Search data as part of its efforts to enforce the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Under the new requirements, Google must open 11 Android features to rival AI assistants, allowing them to access key system functions and respond to voice commands in a similar way to Google's Gemini assistant.

The changes are expected to be available with the next major version of Android from July 2027, provided third-party developers meet the EU's security and privacy requirements.

The Commission also directed Google to share anonymized search data that it uses to improve its own search services with competitors, including AI companies such as OpenAI and other search providers.

The measure, due to take effect from January 2027, includes a pricing mechanism for access to the data and allows Google to assess whether applicants pose cybersecurity or data protection risks before granting access.

EU Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen said the measures are intended to encourage greater competition by helping create alternatives to Google Search and Gemini while giving consumers more choice.

Google criticized the decision, arguing that the new rules could weaken privacy and security protections for users. Kent Walker, the company's president of global affairs, said Google had proposed alternative solutions that would meet the DMA's objectives while safeguarding users, but those proposals were not adopted.

The measures are part of the European Union's broader push to curb the market power of major technology companies by requiring so-called digital gatekeepers to provide fair access to their platforms and services.