EU Orders Google to Share Search Data and Open Android to Rival AI Assistants
The EU is using the DMA's specification process to mandate structural changes to Google's Android and Search business, moving beyond fines to active interoperability requirements.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
On July 16, 2026, the European Commission issued two specification decisions under the Digital Markets Act. One requires Google to give third-party AI assistants the same OS-level access as Gemini on Android, starting July 2027. The other forces Google to share search data with competitors, including AI chatbots, beginning January 2027. Google opposes, citing security and privacy risks.
The European Commission's July 16 announcement is not a penalty for past violations. It is a forward-looking order under the Digital Markets Act that tells Google how to run Android and Search. The two specification decisions address a core complaint from the 2023 DMA designation of Google as a gatekeeper: that Gemini's pre-installed status and deep OS integration give it a permanent advantage, while rivals cannot even match a voice trigger.
Under the new rules, any third-party AI assistant can be set as the default, activated by voice, and given access to read screen content and control apps. The Commission estimates that 60 percent of EU Android users are currently unable to use a non-Google assistant fully. The search data sharing requirement goes further: Google must hand over anonymized search logs to competitors, including companies that run AI chatbots, under fair pricing. Google's Kent Walker argued the order could weaken security and expose trade secrets. The Commission says it has built in privacy and security safeguards, with a review mechanism for the anonymization method.
The timeline is long-search data starts flowing in January 2027, and the Android changes take effect in July 2027. That buys time for legal challenges, which Google has already signaled. But the order itself is final: it is not a draft or a proposal. The DMA's specification decisions are binding, and the EU has made clear that compliance is measured by results, not promises.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.