European Commission orders Google to open Android and Search under DMA
New Commission measures combine digital competition requirements with privacy and security safeguards.
The European Commission has issued two legally binding specification decisions requiring Google to improve interoperability for competing AI assistants on Android and to share anonymised Google Search data with eligible third-party search providers.
The decisions clarify how Google must comply with its obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and are intended to strengthen competition in AI assistant and search markets.
Under the Android decision, competing AI assistants will gain access to functions currently available primarily to Google’s own services, including Gemini. European users will be able to activate alternative assistants through voice commands, perform actions within apps, receive suggested replies and ask questions based on recent activity.
The Commission said the measures include safeguards to protect privacy, security and device integrity.
The second decision requires Google to make anonymised search data available under clearer and more effective conditions. Eligible recipients will include AI chatbots offering search functionality, while Google must share the same categories of anonymised data it uses to improve its own search services.
The framework also establishes a multi-layered anonymisation process, allows Google to address serious cybersecurity and data protection risks, and introduces transparent procedures for data access and pricing.
Google must begin sharing search data with eligible providers from January 2027, while the Android interoperability measures are expected to benefit users from July 2027. Although the decisions are legally binding, they do not determine whether Google has breached the DMA or impose financial penalties. They remain subject to judicial review.
Why does it matter?
The decisions represent one of the clearest examples so far of how the Digital Markets Act is intended to reshape competition in digital ecosystems. By requiring Google to open key Android features and search data to rivals, the Commission is seeking to reduce barriers for competing AI assistants and search providers while expanding consumer choice.
The measures also demonstrate that DMA enforcement extends beyond preventing anti-competitive conduct to prescribing how gatekeepers must implement interoperability and data-sharing obligations in practice. Similar specification decisions could shape how other major digital platforms comply with the Act in the future.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!