Google faces new EU rules to open Android, share search data

Brussels: The European Union on Thursday unveiled sweeping new rules requiring Google to open key Android features to rival artificial intelligence (AI) companies and share anonymised search data with competitors, in a fresh push to curb the tech giant's market dominance.
The measures are part of Brussels' wider effort to promote competition in the AI and digital services market by ensuring fair access to Android devices and Google's vast search ecosystem.
EU officials said the rules are designed to encourage innovation and give consumers greater choice by allowing competing AI assistants to operate on Android phones with capabilities similar to Google's Gemini.
"Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google's AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services," said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission overseeing technology policy.
Under the new rules, Google will be required to allow third-party AI assistants to be activated by voice commands and to perform background functions, such as making restaurant reservations, via external applications.
The Commission also directed Google to begin sharing anonymised search data with selected competitors by January 2027, arguing that the company's vast search database gives it a competitive advantage that rivals cannot match.
The latest action adds to a series of EU measures aimed at curbing the influence of major technology firms. In recent months, Brussels has also required Apple to improve interoperability with competing devices and pressured Meta to remove features such as infinite scrolling that regulators say encourage addictive behaviour.
Google, however, warned that the rules could compromise user privacy and security.
Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google and Alphabet, said opening search data and Android capabilities to third parties could expose users' searches to unfamiliar companies without sufficient anonymisation or consent, potentially threatening privacy, business confidentiality and national security.
The European Commission said its investigation found that competing AI assistants currently lack the same level of system access on Android devices as Google's Gemini, putting them at a competitive disadvantage.