Google: EU demands Android be opened to AI competition within six months

The EU Commission has set Google a deadline of six months to dismantle any technical hurdles for competitors' AI assistants on Android. Furthermore, Google must also make core search data accessible to other search engine providers. Both of the company's platforms have been considered gatekeepers since 2023 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and must be opened up to competitors.

Clarification Procedure

The EU supervisory authorities will examine whether Google is complying with the EU requirements and treating competing AI software on Android fairly. The two procedures announced on Tuesday are not yet formal investigation proceedings, but so-called "clarification procedures". These are intended to "formalize the Commission's regulatory dialogue with Google on specific aspects of compliance with two obligations under the DMA".

The Commission wants to conclude the two procedures within six months. However, within three months at the latest, the Commission will present Google with preliminary assessments and an initial draft of the measures that Google must take for "effective compliance with the DMA". In addition, third parties should also be able to comment, which is why non-confidential summaries of the preliminary assessments and the intended measures will be published.

"We want to maximize the potential and benefits of this profound technological change by ensuring that competition is open and fair, and that not just a few large companies benefit. With the procedure initiated today, we want to help Google by explaining in more detail how it should comply with its obligations regarding interoperability and the sharing of online search data under the Digital Markets Act," explained Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for a clean, fair and competitive transition, in a statement.

Criticism from Google

In a statement to Bloomberg, Clare Kelly, Senior Competition Counsel at Google, commented on the clarification procedures: She said the US company is concerned that further regulations, "often driven more by competitor complaints than by consumer interest, will impact user privacy, security, and innovation."

Opening up Android to AI assistants and sharing core search data with third parties are just some of the further points on which Google is in conflict with the EU within the framework of the DMA. The company is also accused of favoring its own services in search and preventing app developers from directing consumers to offers outside its Play Store. In addition, the EU Commission is investigating the suspicion that Google might disadvantage certain news content in search results.

As part of the new procedure, the EU could later decide to initiate a formal investigation if Google does not comply with the DMA regulations. This could pave the way for possible fines of up to 10 percent of its worldwide annual turnover – however, Brussels regulators rarely impose the maximum penalties. For example, the EU Commission imposed a fine of 500 million euros on Apple in April 2025 for violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). For illustration: Apple's annual turnover in 2024 was approximately 391 billion US dollars – 10 percent of that would be 39 billion dollars.

Both Google and Apple are dissatisfied with the DMA: Google stated in September 2025 that the DMA is causing damage to European users and small businesses, while from Apple's perspective the DMA should be abolished. An analysis by the umbrella organization of European consumer organizations, Beuc, showed that consumers would enjoy a greater choice with the Digital Markets Act.

(afl)