EU pressures Google to open Android
- The European Commission sent Google preliminary findings on April 27 ordering Android changes so rival AI assistants can access device features now favored for Gemini. - Brussels said competing AI services should execute tasks inside Android apps, with outside feedback due May 13 and a final decision expected by July. - The move extends January DMA proceedings into AI assistants and search data, raising possible fines up to 10% of sales. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu)
The European Commission told Google on Monday to change Android so rival AI assistants can use key phone features now tied to Gemini. (usnews.com) (bloomberg.com) The proposal says competing AI services must be able to interact with apps on Android devices and carry out tasks such as sending email, ordering food, or sharing photos. (usnews.com) (bloomberg.com) The Commission sent those preliminary findings to Google on April 27, 2026, and opened a public consultation that runs until May 13 before a final decision due by the end of July. (usnews.com) (publicnow.com) This fight sits inside the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, the law that lets Brussels write detailed compliance measures for companies it classifies as gatekeepers. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) In Google’s case, the Commission opened specification proceedings on January 27, 2026 covering two areas: Android interoperability for third-party AI services and access to Google Search data on fair terms. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) The Android part centers on Article 6(7) of the law, which requires Google to give third-party developers free and effective interoperability with hardware and software features it controls. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) The search-data part centers on Article 6(11), which covers anonymized ranking, query, click, and view data that outside search engines — and potentially AI chatbots with search functions — want to use. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) Teresa Ribera, the European Union’s antitrust chief, said the draft measures would give Android users more choice about which AI services they use on their phones. (usnews.com) (publicnow.com) Google pushed back through senior competition counsel Clare Kelly, who said the proposal would force access to sensitive hardware and device permissions and weaken privacy and security protections. (usnews.com) If Brussels ultimately finds Google out of compliance, Digital Markets Act penalties can reach 10% of a company’s annual global sales. The deadline now is July, when the Commission must decide whether these Android changes are enough. (usnews.com) (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu)
