Google faces EU order to open Android and share search data with AI rivals

The European Union has ordered Google to open key Android features to rival artificial intelligence assistants and give competing search providers access to data collected by Google Search.

The European Commission issued two sets of binding measures under the Digital Markets Act on Thursday, aiming to give competing AI services and search engines greater access to Google’s infrastructure.

Google must allow rival AI assistants to access 11 Android features currently available to its own services, including Gemini. The changes are expected to let users activate their preferred assistant through voice commands and use it to complete tasks such as searching for information or making bookings.

Android users in the EU are expected to begin benefiting from the interoperability changes in July 2027.

The Commission also ordered Google to provide qualifying search engines with access to anonymized ranking, query, click and viewing data collected through Google Search.

The requirement will take effect in January 2027 and will include certain AI chatbot providers that compete with Google in online search. Access must be offered under fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory conditions.

The Commission said competitors need access to this information because Google Search is currently the only provider capable of collecting the data at sufficient scale.

EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said the measures were intended to preserve consumer choice as AI becomes more deeply integrated into digital services.

The decision does not represent a formal finding that Google violated the Digital Markets Act. Instead, the binding specifications explain how the company must comply with obligations covering Android interoperability and search data access.

The Commission began the proceedings in January and published preliminary measures for consultation in April. The process focused on Google’s obligation to give developers effective access to Android hardware and software features used by Gemini and other Google services.

Google opposed the decision, warning that expanding access to Android systems and search information could create privacy, cybersecurity and national security risks.

Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said the company had proposed alternatives that would protect users while meeting the objectives of the Digital Markets Act.

Google also argued that sharing search information could expose sensitive user activity to unfamiliar companies without sufficient consent or anonymization. The Commission said the measures include privacy and security safeguards and that only eligible providers will receive access.

The measures add to Google’s broader regulatory pressure in Europe. The company separately faces Digital Markets Act investigations concerning allegations that it favors its own services in search results and restricts app developers from directing users toward payment options outside the Play Store.

Digital Markets Act violations can result in fines of up to 10% of a company’s worldwide annual revenue.