BRUSSELS — The European Commission issued two binding decisions on July 16, 2026, ordering Google to comply with the Digital Markets Act by granting rival AI assistants equal access to Android system features and by sharing anonymized search data with competing search engines. The measures target Google’s dominant position in mobile operating systems and online search, affecting an estimated 60% of EU users who rely on Android devices.

Under the first decision, Google must give rival AI assistants the same system-level capabilities and data access on Android that it provides to its own Gemini service. This includes allowing third-party AI agents to be activated by voice commands and to run background tasks through third-party applications. The Commission found that non-Google AI agents were previously unable to function on Android phones at the same level as Gemini, which is preloaded on all Google-certified Android devices and responds to the “Hey Google” hot word. Google has until July 2027 to implement these Android interoperability changes.

The second decision requires Google to allow rival search engines and AI chatbots to access data generated by Google Search. The company must begin sharing anonymized search data with competitors by January 2027. The European Commission stated that there will be limits on how this search data can be used, and that Google will retain the ability to vet which services receive deeper access to Android to ensure safety and security.

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, defended the decisions as necessary to foster competition. “With today’s measures, we want to support innovation and diversity in the European Union, enabling fair competition in the markets of AI assistant for Android devices and search engines,” she said. Virkkunen added, “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.”

Google pushed back against the requirements, arguing they pose an unacceptable risk to user privacy and security. In statements made on July 16, 2026, Kent Walker, president of global affairs for Google and its parent company Alphabet, warned that the data-sharing mandate could compromise sensitive information. “Europeans’ private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent,” Walker said. He added, “This would weaken citizens’ privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security.”

The Digital Markets Act, which came into force in 2024, designates dominant digital platforms as “gatekeepers” and requires them to provide competitors with access to systems and data comparable to what they offer their own services. These latest decisions mark a significant enforcement action under the regulation, directly challenging Google’s integration of its AI and search services into its Android ecosystem. By mandating interoperability and data sharing, the Commission aims to lower barriers for competitors in two rapidly consolidating markets—AI assistants and search—where Google holds substantial market power.

The impact extends beyond Google. The Commission’s findings indicate that restrictions on third-party AI assistants currently limit service offerings for 60% of EU mobile users. The required changes could reshape how alternative AI tools operate on the world’s most widely used mobile operating system in Europe, potentially accelerating innovation while testing the balance between competition, privacy, and platform control.