Alphabet’s Google will have to give OpenAI and other artificial intelligence (AI) rivals access to parts of its Android operating system and search data under new requirements set by the European Commission.
The decision is part of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to reduce the market power of the world’s biggest technology companies and give competitors a fairer chance to compete.
The Commission announced the measures after opening specification proceedings six months ago to help Google meet its obligations under the DMA.
Under the new regulations, Google must make 11 Android features available to competing AI developers.
The changes will allow users to activate rival AI assistants through voice commands in much the same way they currently use Google’s “Hey Google” feature.
For example, users will be able to ask another AI assistant to book a taxi or search for nearby places directly from their Android devices.
The Android changes will take effect from July 2027 as part of the next version of the operating system.
The Commission also ordered Google to share anonymised search data that it uses to improve its own search engine. The data will be available to OpenAI and other AI chatbots with search functions, as well as competing search engines, from January 2027.
Before granting access, Google can assess whether applicants meet privacy and cybersecurity requirements. The Commission said only companies that satisfy those standards will receive access. It also introduced a pricing formula for the shared data.
EU officials said the measures are designed to encourage more competition in online search and AI services while protecting users’ privacy and device security.
“Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement.
Google objected to the decision, arguing that the requirements could weaken protections for users.
“Today’s decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans,” Google’s lawyer Kent Walker said in an email.
“We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA’s goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm,” he said.
EU regulators believe opening access to Android features and search data will help rival AI companies and search providers compete more effectively with Google’s Gemini AI service and Google Search.
