European Commission orders Google Android AI access changes by 2027

The European Commission ordered Google to give rival AI platforms better access to Android and to share search data with competitors, with implementation deadlines in January 2027 for search measures and July 2027 for Android changes. The Commission said the measures were issued under the Digital Markets Act after a six-month investigation into Google's compliance.

The Commission said rival AI assistants currently have restricted access to key Android operating system functions, while Google's own Gemini has full access. It said this means services including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude do not compete on equal terms with Google's own services on Android devices in Europe. According to the Commission, third-party AI assistants are up to 60% less attractive to European Android users as a result.

The Android measures will let users activate their preferred AI assistant with voice commands and use external assistants to take actions inside apps on their behalf. The Commission said it will make 11 Android functions available to rival AI companies and included safeguards for privacy, device integrity, and security.

The Commission also ordered Google to share data collected from its search services with competitors, including OpenAI, to support the development and optimization of third-party web search engines. The Commission said Google will be allowed to assess whether rivals present cybersecurity or data protection risks before sharing information, and said the measure includes a fair formula for calculating the price of shared data.