The EU Forces Google to Open Android and Search to AI Rivals

The European Commission has issued two separate decisions against Google under the Digital Markets Act, requiring the opening of both Android and the search engine to competitors. Beneficiaries include not only other search engines but also rival AI assistants like ChatGPT and Copilot, developed by OpenAI and Microsoft, respectively.

On the Search front, Google will have until January 2027 to start sharing search data. As a 'gatekeeper' under European regulations, the company will need to share this information not only with direct competitors in online search but also with conversational chatbots, thus expanding the pool of those who can access the information gathered from Mountain View.

For Android, the situation is different and involves system permissions. Currently, Gemini, as a pre-installed app, enjoys privileged access to the operating system: it can interact with other apps, control hardware functions of the phone, and remain in permanent background listening for the voice command 'Hey Google'. Brussels demands that the same level of access be guaranteed to competing assistants, with a deadline set for July 2027.

Google's Response: "Device Security at Risk"

Google is not taking this lightly and has publicly responded on its official blog, The Keyword, signed by Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google and Alphabet. According to the company, the two decisions "risk undermining fundamental privacy and security protections for millions of European citizens."

Their argument particularly concerns Android: third-party assistants, Google explains, already securely access operating system functions today, thanks to verification work done by smartphone manufacturers. The new rule imposed by Brussels, however, would grant sensitive and powerful permissions to external apps without the same guarantees, threatening the overall security of devices.

Google even references the European Agency for Cybersecurity, which states that "the fundamentals of security matter more than ever in the age of AI."

On the Search side, the declared concern relates to anonymization. The company argues that private searches of European users would end up exposed to "unknown companies, without adequate data anonymization and without user awareness or consent," impacting citizen privacy, trade secrets of businesses, and, according to Google, even national security.

It remains to be seen if these objections will have a place in the coming months of negotiations with Brussels, or if they will lead to a formal appeal against the decisions. The timeline is set: from January 2027, search data must start circulating to competitors, while the opening of Android to rival assistants will become mandatory from July of the same year.