The commission requires Google to allow other AI assistants to use more Android features and to share data from Google Search.
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The European Commission has established what Google needs to change so that competing AI assistants can use important features of Android phones and so that other search engines can receive the necessary data to develop services capable of competing with Google Search. The measures are mandatory and will start to apply in 2027.
In short
Alternative AI assistants will be able to be activated by voice commands on Android phones, in a manner similar to the "Hey Google" command. Users will be able to choose a service other than Gemini and will be able to allow it to perform tasks in applications.
A competing assistant could book a taxi, suggest responses in a messaging app, or use information about a recently visited place. Google will need to provide access to the necessary features without compromising the security of the phone or the user's privacy.
Google will need to share anonymized data with eligible search engines similar to those it uses for optimizing Google Search. Access will also apply to chatbots that offer search functionalities.
The data will not be free. The Commission has established a formula for calculating a fair price and a transparent procedure through which companies can request access. Google will be able to refuse a beneficiary when it identifies serious risks to cybersecurity or data protection.
Search data sharing must begin in January 2027, and changes for AI assistants on Android must be available to users starting in July 2027. The decisions do not impose a fine but legally establish how Google must comply with the Digital Markets Act.
Approximately 60% of phone users in the European Union use Android devices, according to the Commission. Currently, AI assistants developed by other companies have more limited access to the operating system than Google services, including Gemini.
This difference affects the functionalities that a competing service can offer. An assistant that cannot be activated as easily, cannot interact with applications, or cannot use certain information provided by the phone is less useful to the user, even if its AI technology is competitive.
The Commission has adopted a binding decision that specifies how Google must provide interoperability, meaning the ability for services from other companies to work together with Android. Users will be able to activate the chosen assistant by voice, not just by manually opening an application.
Competing assistants will also be able to perform actions on behalf of the user. The Commission provides examples such as booking a taxi, suggesting relevant responses in a conversation, or providing information about a recently visited place.
Access will not be unlimited. Google will be able to apply necessary measures to protect the security of the device, the integrity of the system, and privacy, but these must not be used to give its own services an unfair advantage.
The second decision concerns Google's dominance in the online search market. A search engine improves by analyzing large volumes of queries and aggregated behaviors: what people are searching for, what results they choose, and how useful they prove to be.
Google can collect such information on a scale that smaller competitors cannot replicate. The lack of data makes it more difficult to improve results, correct errors, and develop specialized alternatives, including services that place more emphasis on privacy.
The Commission requires Google to provide eligible providers access to the same types of data it collects for optimizing its own search engine, after anonymization. The decision specifies that chatbots that include search functionalities can also request access, not just traditional search engines.
Anonymization must reduce the risk that a query is associated with a specific person. The Commission states that the method will have multiple levels of protection and was developed in collaboration with internal and external privacy specialists.
The measures also take into account the relationship between the Digital Markets Act and the General Data Protection Regulation. Google will be able to verify before the transfer whether providing information to a specific company creates serious risks for security or data protection.
The Commission may later modify the conditions, including the method of anonymization, depending on market developments and independent evaluations. The document does not specify the exact volume of data that each applicant will receive or the specific fees.
The price will be set by a formula that the Commission describes as fair. The application procedure must be transparent, so that Google cannot use unclear criteria or individual negotiations to delay access for competitors.
Google must begin sharing data with eligible search engines starting in January 2027. Users should benefit from the extended access of AI assistants to Android starting in July 2027.
The two decisions were adopted under the Digital Markets Act, which imposes obligations on companies designated as gatekeepers of essential services. Google Search and Android have been on the list of these services since 2023, and Google must comply with the applicable obligations starting in March 2024.
The procedure currently used does not establish that Google has already violated the new instructions and does not impose a fine. It concretely defines how the company must fulfill its existing obligations, after its previous data-sharing offer proved ineffective.
Google can challenge the decisions in court. Until a possible annulment, the measures remain mandatory and must be implemented within the established deadlines.
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