The EU just ordered Google to open Android and hand Search data to rivals
Two binding Digital Markets Act decisions force Google to open 11 Android features to rival AI assistants from mid-2027, and to share anonymized Search data with competitors, including OpenAI, from January 2027.
The EU just ordered Google to open Android to AI rivals and hand over Search data.
The European Commission adopted two binding Digital Markets Act decisions on July 16, 2026, ordering Google to open parts of Android to rival AI assistants and to share anonymized Search data with competing search engines, including OpenAI.
What actually opens on Android
Google has to expose 11 Android features to competing AI assistants, letting a user trigger a rival assistant by voice command the same way hey Google works today, for tasks like booking a taxi or searching for a place. The requirement applies from the Android version shipping in July 2027, not immediately.
What happens to Search data
Separately, Google has to share anonymized Search data with rival search engines starting January 2027, aimed at rebalancing access to search-behavior data that, until now, only Google could collect at the scale needed to compete. Google's chief legal officer Kent Walker publicly objected, saying the decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans.
Why a build studio cares
Android and Google Search are platforms a huge share of what we build ultimately sits on top of, directly or through the assumptions users bring with them. A mandated opening like this changes the competitive landscape for AI assistants and search specifically in the EU, and it is worth tracking now, over a year before it takes effect, rather than discovering the new interoperability requirements mid-build in 2027.
Next step: read the Commission's own guidance and CNBC's coverage of the ruling. If EU platform regulation affects a build you're planning, write to us at hello@gattyworks.com.