Google contests EU’s push for Android access to rival AI services

Google is pushing back against two binding decisions from the European Commission that would force it to open up Android to competing AI assistants and share anonymized search data with rivals. The measures, issued under the Digital Markets Act on July 16, represent the most aggressive regulatory attempt yet to break Google’s grip on the AI assistant market across roughly 60% of EU smartphones. The stakes are straightforward: if the EU gets its way, services like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity would gain system-level access to the same Android features that currently give Google’s own Gemini assistant a home-field advantage. Think voice commands, app interactions, and sensor data. What the EU is actually demanding The Commission’s orders break down into two distinct requirements, each with its own timeline. First, Google must begin sharing anonymized search data with third-party search engines and AI chatbots starting in January 2027. Second, it must open up 11 specific AI interoperability features on Android by mid-2027, with concurrent hotword detection required by August 2028. The interoperability requirements go deeper than just voice activation. Rival AI services would gain a...