The European Union is intensifying its push to regulate Big Tech with a new set of legally binding orders aimed directly at Google. The European Commission has finalized so-called specification measures under the Digital Markets Act that will force Google to open up Android to competing artificial intelligence platforms and share search data with rival search providers. The decision follows months of deliberation and represents one of the most concrete attempts yet to use the DMA to reshape how dominant digital platforms operate in Europe.

Google, which is classified as a DMA gatekeeper, has no legal option to refuse the order. The company is vocally opposed, arguing that the requirements will weaken privacy and security protections for users. But the Commission insists the measures are necessary to increase competition, give consumers more meaningful choices, and prevent a small number of powerful companies from controlling access to essential digital services.

Key facts at a glance

• The European Commission has adopted binding specification measures under the Digital Markets Act.
• Google must open Android to third-party AI assistants, ending Gemini's preferential system-level access.
• Google must share search data with rival search providers and AI chatbots under fair and transparent terms.
• Google says the requirements risk privacy, security, trade secrets, and national security.
• Search data sharing must begin by January 2027; Android changes must be completed by July 2027.

DMA background and enforcement

The Digital Markets Act entered into force in 2024 and established a new regime for companies designated as gatekeepers. Those companies run core platform services—such as app stores, search engines, messaging apps, and operating systems—that serve as important gateways between businesses and consumers. The law prohibits gatekeepers from engaging in certain self-preferencing behaviors and imposes obligations related to interoperability, data access, fairness, and user choice. Violations can lead to fines as high as 10% of global annual turnover, and up to 20% for repeated infringement.

Apple, Meta, and Google have already faced scrutiny and fines under the regulation. The Commission has opened multiple investigations into whether companies are circumventing their obligations. The new measures against Google mark the first time the Commission has used specification measures—formal legal decisions that spell out exactly how a gatekeeper must comply—to define the extent of Google's obligations in specific markets.

Opening Android to third-party AI assistants

Currently, Google's Gemini AI assistant is deeply integrated into Android. It arrives preloaded on Google-certified phones, responds to the "Hey Google" hot word, and has access to system-level functions, app automation, and screen content. Third-party AI assistants, by contrast, lack the same privileges. According to the European Commission, this makes rival assistants less attractive to the roughly 60% of EU users who own Android devices.

The Commission's specification measures require Google to give competing AI assistants the ability to integrate with Android at a level that allows them to offer similar core functions. That includes the ability to be invoked by the user, to access relevant device features, and to provide an experience that is not artificially degraded compared to Gemini. The Commission says the measures are designed with user privacy and device security in mind, and that Google remains free to implement safeguards as long as they do not discriminate against third parties.

Google argues that these requirements are unnecessary because AI assistants are already widely supported on Android. The company has said in the past that phone manufacturers play a critical role in vetting AI services and deciding which assistants to promote. Google contends that granting non-Gemini AI systems deeper integration could bypass the security checks and privacy controls that are built into the current ecosystem. The company's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, has said the decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans.

Search data sharing with rivals

The second major component of the decision concerns search. Google has long dominated web search in Europe and around the world. The Commission says the new measures are necessary because Google's previous offers to share search data did not go far enough. Under the DMA, gatekeepers that operate search engines are required to provide access to ranking, query, click, and other data to competing search providers on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.

The new specification measures make clear that Google must share this data transparently and for a reasonable fee. The obligations also extend to AI chatbots, which the Commission now treats as search services for the purpose of data sharing. That means companies building alternative search engines or AI-powered search products can request access to anonymized data similar to what Google sees internally. EU regulators argue this data is essential for any smaller player hoping to challenge Google's dominance, because without insight into how users interact with search results, competitors are flying blind.

Google has responded with strong objections. The company warns that sharing search data could expose user identities, reveal business trade secrets, and even threaten national security. The Commission, however, has built safeguards into the decision. It calls for a multilayered approach to anonymization and says it is open to amending the measures to ensure identifiable data is handled appropriately. Google acknowledges that regulators are willing to adjust the rules, but the company still characterizes the overall decision as overreach.

What Google is not happy about

Kent Walker framed the Commission's approach as too aggressive. In a statement after the announcement, he said Google offered more measured solutions that could satisfy the DMA's goals, but the Commission chose a path that goes too far. He specifically warned about the consequences for privacy, security, and the ability of companies to protect their proprietary information. Walker's broader argument is that regulators are underestimating how much work already goes into keeping Android safe and how much sensitive data is involved in search. He argues that Europe's decision could ultimately harm users by making devices less secure and giving less trustworthy companies access to powerful data.

Google is not alone in resisting the DMA. Apple and Meta have also clashed with EU regulators over issues like app store fees, consent requirements, and data sharing. Some critics of the DMA say the law gives regulators too much discretion to impose open-ended obligations. Supporters, however, say the law is exactly what is needed to break the stranglehold of large platforms and encourage innovation.

Timeline and next steps

Google still has time before the requirements take effect. The company must be ready to share search data with other companies by January 2027. Android must be updated to allow deeper integration with competing AI applications by July 2027. Between now and those deadlines, Google will work with the European Commission to settle technical details regarding data anonymization, fees, and security safeguards. The Commission has said it remains open to dialogue, but it has also made clear that the decisions are legally binding and that continued noncompliance will carry consequences.

The outcome will be watched closely by other technology companies and by regulators around the world. The EU's moves against Google are already being studied as a template for how to regulate artificial intelligence and search. What happens in Europe over the next two years could influence how AI assistants and search engines are built, distributed, and monetized globally. For Google, the stakes are high. For European consumers and competing companies, the changes could eventually bring more options and a less concentrated digital marketplace.

While the full impact of these measures will not be known until after the implementation deadlines arrive, the European Commission has made its position clear: Even the world's largest technology companies must adapt to the rules of the digital single market. Google may not like the decision, but it now has a legal obligation to comply. The next steps in this long-running battle will be technical, legal, and highly consequential.

Source: Ars Technica News