The European Union has ordered Google to give OpenAI, competing AI developers, and rival search engines access to parts of its Android platform and search services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The European Commission published the compliance measures six months after opening specification proceedings to define how Google should meet its obligations under the law. The rules are designed to reduce Google’s dominance across Android and search while making it easier for competing AI services to operate on Android devices.
Google criticized the decision, arguing that the changes could weaken user privacy and device security. The company said it had proposed alternatives that would meet the DMA’s goals without creating additional risks.
The European Union has ordered #Google to open Android’s #AI assistant features to rivals and give competing search providers greater access to search data under the Digital Markets Act.
The move is aimed at reducing Google’s advantage in AI assistants and search, boosting…
— FXCM (@FXCMOfficial) July 16, 2026
Android and Search face new access rules
Under the Commission’s decision, Google must open 11 Android features to competing AI assistants. Eligible developers will be able to integrate voice assistants that users can activate through voice commands, similar to Google’s own Gemini service.
The changes are expected to reach users with the next Android release in July 2027. Access will only be available to companies that satisfy the Commission’s security and privacy requirements.
Google must also share certain search data used to improve its own search services with AI chatbots that include search capabilities, including OpenAI. The data must be anonymized, and Google will be allowed to assess cybersecurity and data protection risks before granting access. The search data rules are scheduled to take effect in January 2027, with the Commission also introducing a pricing formula for data access.
Can regulation reshape the AI race?
Control over search data and operating systems has become one of the biggest advantages in artificial intelligence. Search queries, user interactions, and device-level integration help AI models deliver more accurate responses and reach users directly.
The DMA is attempting to reduce that advantage by separating platform ownership from access to critical infrastructure. If competing AI companies gain access to Android features and search data, they could compete more directly with Google’s own AI products without building their own mobile operating system or search engine from scratch.
Will mandatory data sharing change AI competition?
Most AI assistants rely on search engines, app platforms, or proprietary datasets to improve responses and complete user tasks. Those resources have largely remained under the control of a handful of technology companies.
The EU’s latest order challenges that model by requiring Google to share parts of its search data and Android functionality with qualifying competitors. Rather than forcing rivals to build competing ecosystems from scratch, the rules focus on opening existing digital infrastructure to more participants.
Whether the approach succeeds will depend on how useful the shared data proves to be and whether competing AI developers can turn that access into products that users are willing to switch to. If they can, the DMA could become one of the first regulations to directly influence competition in consumer AI rather than simply policing market dominance.
In another development, the EU Parliament has adopted a policy paper calling for the European Union to consider expanding its crypto regulatory framework beyond the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.
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