Apple and Google tell EU regulators they oppose DMA mandates for broad AI access

Apple and Google have pushed back against a European Union effort to force broader access for third-party artificial intelligence assistants to smartphone operating systems, setting up a new fight over how far the bloc’s Digital Markets Act should reach into mobile software design. The dispute centers on whether rival AI services should be allowed to tap the same system-level tools that Apple and Google use for their own assistants. The companies have framed the issue as one of privacy and security. European regulators have framed it as one of competition and market access. The European Commission has already moved beyond general warnings. On April 27, it published preliminary findings for Google under the DMA that would require Android to give competing AI services effective interoperability with key capabilities of the operating system. The measures are part of specification proceedings opened on January 27 and are meant to spell out how Alphabet should comply with Article 6(7) of the law. ### What exactly is Brussels asking Google to open up? The Commission said on April 27 that competing AI services should be able to interact with applications on Android devices and execute tasks such as sending an email through a user’s preferred app, ordering food, or sharing a photo with friends. It also said rival providers should be able to offer deeply integrated AI experiences alongside Google’s own Gemini service. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) The consultation page for case DMA.100220 says the proposed measures cover invocation by custom wake words, the ability of AI-powered services to understand app context and execute tasks, and access to the hardware and software resources needed for those services to be reliable and responsive. The Commission says those obligations flow from the DMA requirement that gatekeepers provide interoperability with software and hardware features of designated operating systems. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) ### Why are Apple and Google resisting broader AI access? Apple has repeatedly argued in its DMA materials that broader interoperability mandates can expose sensitive user data and weaken protections built into its systems. In a December 2024 interoperability paper, Apple said it was concerned some companies could use DMA access requests to reach sensitive information despite not meeting Apple’s standards for data protection. In a January 2024 EU compliance announcement, Apple said the law created new privacy and security risks that required added user protections. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) Google has made a similar argument in its public DMA commentary, saying compliance should not come at the expense of security, integrity, quality or usefulness. Bloomberg reported on April 23 that Google feared the EU push to open Android to rival AI assistants could compromise users’ security and privacy. ### Why does the Commission say AI access belongs under the DMA? (developer.apple.com) The Commission said on January 27 that Google’s own control over Android features used by AI services could deny third-party providers an equal opportunity to innovate and compete on smart mobile devices. In the non-confidential case summary, the Commission said Alphabet’s ability to control and restrict access to features available to its own AI services may represent a significant barrier to entry and expansion for third-party AI providers. (blog.google) A Commission factsheet published on May 11 said the DMA is intended to ensure Apple and Google no longer have exclusive access to operating-system features and that third-party developers can build competing services on a level playing field. The same document said Apple and Google remain free to decide which features are added to their operating systems. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) ### Is this only about Google, or could Apple face similar pressure? Google is the company currently facing the most explicit AI-specific draft measures. The Commission’s April 27 findings and consultation are directed at Alphabet’s Android operating system, and the public consultation on those draft measures closed on May 13. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) Apple, however, has already been subject to DMA specification decisions on interoperability. On March 19, 2025, the Commission adopted decisions requiring Apple to improve access to nine iPhone connectivity features for third-party connected devices and to make its interoperability request process more transparent and predictable. The Commission said those measures were designed to preserve privacy and security while widening access. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) ### What happens next in the EU process? The Commission said on January 27 that its Google specification proceedings would conclude within six months of opening, which points to a deadline in late July 2026. It also said the proceedings do not by themselves determine non-compliance, leaving open the possibility of later enforcement decisions and penalties under the DMA. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) The next formal step is the Commission’s decision on the Android measures after reviewing submissions from the consultation that ran from April 27 to May 13. Apple and Google are also working with the Commission on other DMA interoperability projects, including a cross-platform device-transfer system described in a May 11 Commission factsheet, showing that Brussels’ mobile rules are still being implemented feature by feature. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu 1) (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu 2)