Overview
- The European Commission issued binding orders on Thursday, July 16, 2026, requiring Google to let third-party AI chatbots access Android's assistant entry points and to share anonymized search data with competitors.
- The rules require rival assistants to get the same deep device access and features that Google’s Gemini has now, including voice activation, background context reading, and the ability to perform tasks like sending messages or booking rides.
- Brussels set phased deadlines for implementation, with the Commission saying Google must meet an initial one-year timetable for assistants while other reporting places full legal effect from July 2027, and the rules allow Google to screen shared data for cybersecurity or privacy risks.
- Google publicly warned the measures risk device security and user privacy, argued that phone makers play a role in access control, and retains the right to challenge the Commission’s decision in court although it has not announced a lawsuit.
- The move uses powers in the Digital Markets Act to weaken entrenched platform control, will require Android code changes and manufacturer coordination, and could expand user choice and new AI services in Europe while raising practical security and rollout questions.