EU Orders Google to Open Android to Competing AI Services

The European Union has issued formal proposals requiring Google to open its dominant Android operating system to rival AI services, challenging the tech giant's preferential treatment of its own Gemini assistant. This move, unveiled as part of ongoing Digital Markets Act (DMA) proceedings, aims to prevent Google from locking out competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude from key Android features such as voice activation, system-level search, and seamless app integration.

The European Commission launched these specification proceedings in January 2026 under the DMA, which designates Google as a "gatekeeper" due to Android's roughly 65% market share in Europe's mobile OS landscape. According to the Commission's draft findings, as reported by Bloomberg and Ars Technica, Google must provide third-party AI developers with free and effective interoperability to hardware and software features that Gemini currently enjoys exclusively. This includes enabling rivals to perform everyday tasks like sending emails via a user's preferred app, ordering from delivery services, or sharing photos with contacts—functions that deepen user reliance on a single AI provider.

Google has pushed back forcefully, calling the intervention "unwarranted" and warning it could compromise user privacy, security, and innovation. Clare Kelly, Google's senior competition counsel, argued in a statement cited by Morningstar that Android already allows device makers full autonomy to integrate custom AI experiences, and mandating broader access would strip away those choices while raising costs and exposing sensitive permissions. The company views the proposals as overreach, especially as Gemini rolls out across more than two billion Android devices worldwide.

These measures stem from two parallel DMA probes: one focused on interoperability under Article 6(7) and another on data sharing under Article 6(11), requiring Google to provide anonymized search data—like queries, clicks, and views—to rival search engines and AI chatbots on fair terms. As Ars Technica notes, this escalates a broader regulatory battle to ensure AI does not replicate the platform lock-in seen in past tech dominance cases, potentially making artificial intelligence the first major tech sector pried open proactively.

The stakes are high for consumers, developers, and the Android ecosystem. European users, who number in the hundreds of millions on Android, stand to gain more choice in AI assistants, fostering innovation and reducing dependency on Google's services. Rival AI firms could thrive with equal footing, while device manufacturers might face new compliance burdens. Non-compliance risks fines up to 10% of Google's annual global turnover, a penalty that has loomed over past DMA disputes.

A public consultation on the proposals is now open until May 13, inviting feedback from stakeholders before the Commission finalizes binding instructions. Google and others can respond, but the timeline signals swift enforcement, aligning with the EU's aggressive push against Big Tech gatekeepers. What happens next could reshape AI competition on the world's most popular mobile platform, determining whether Android evolves into a truly open AI hub or remains a Google stronghold.