European Commission Directs Google to Open Android Access and Share Search Data with AI Competitors
In a significant development under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Commission has issued two binding orders. These orders mandate Google to provide rival AI assistants with the same system-level access to Android that it currently reserves exclusively for its own Gemini assistant. Furthermore, Google is required to share anonymized search data with competing AI companies and search engines.
The first ruling allows eligible third-party assistants to gain voice activation and cross-app capabilities across 11 Android feature groups. This will enable them to perform tasks such as booking taxis, responding to messages via voice commands, and operating within other apps — features previously only available to Gemini. The changes must be implemented with Android 18 by August 1, 2027.
The second ruling mandates that Google begin sharing anonymized ranking, query, click, and view data from Google Search with rival search engines and AI chatbot providers — including OpenAI — on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms starting January 2027. The Commission noted that Google controls roughly 95% of the EU search market, an imbalance rivals cannot replicate at scale.
Sameer Samat, Google’s Android president, criticized the rulings, stating the Commission is “on the wrong track.” Meanwhile, Global Affairs chief Kent Walker warned that the decisions “risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans.” Non-compliance could trigger fines of up to 10% of Google’s global annual turnover.
Source: Dataconomy – EU Orders Google To Open Android And Search Data To Rival AI Services (July 20, 2026)