EU orders Google to share search data and open Android AI access

Lead

Europe is moving from broad platform regulation to concrete technical obligations. According to Ars Technica, the European Commission has issued new legally binding “specification measures” under the Digital Markets Act, aimed at two central parts of Google’s business: Android’s AI assistant layer and Google Search’s data advantage. As a designated DMA “gatekeeper,” Google is required to comply, even as it strongly objects to the scope of the rules.

Key points

• Android must give rival AI assistants deeper access: Google’s Gemini currently benefits from preinstallation on Google-certified Android phones, hotword activation through “Hey Google,” system and app automation features, and access to screen context. EU regulators argue that this makes competing assistants less attractive because they cannot offer equivalent functionality.
• Search data must be shared with competitors: Google will have to provide search data to rival search providers in a transparent way and for a reasonable fee. The Commission says earlier offers from Google did not go far enough to support meaningful competition.
• AI chatbots fall within the search framework: The EU will treat AI chatbots as search services for the purposes of data sharing, reflecting how conversational AI is increasingly used to retrieve and summarize information.
• Google warns of privacy and security risks: Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said the decisions could undermine privacy and security protections for Europeans. Google also argues that the search-sharing mandate may expose trade secrets and create broader security concerns.

Why it matters

The Android part of the decision is about more than app choice. AI assistants are becoming a new control layer for smartphones: they can interpret screen content, trigger actions across apps, and automate tasks. If one assistant receives privileged access by default, it could become the next dominant gateway to digital services. The EU’s intervention is therefore designed to prevent Gemini from inheriting Android’s platform power without effective competition.

The search-data requirement may have even broader consequences. Search is a scale business: more queries produce more feedback, better ranking signals, and stronger services. By forcing Google to share relevant metrics with smaller providers, the Commission hopes to reduce the structural advantage that has kept Google dominant. Extending the rule to AI chatbots also signals that regulators see search and generative AI as converging markets, not separate categories.

The risks are real, however. Search logs can reveal sensitive personal interests, even when obvious identifiers are removed. The EU says the data must be anonymized through a multilayered approach and that the decision can be adjusted to ensure identifiable information is handled properly. Google, meanwhile, is expected to keep pressing for narrower safeguards.

Implementation will unfold over time. Google must be ready to begin sharing search data in January 2027, while Android changes enabling deeper AI integration are due by July 2027. The outcome could become an important precedent for how governments regulate AI assistants, mobile operating systems, and the data foundations of search competition.

Source: Ars Technica AI