The European Union has moved from warning shots to direct intervention, ordering sweeping changes to how Google runs Android and Search in Europe, and setting up a clash between competition goals and fears over data privacy.

Early regulatory push under the DMA

Since the Digital Markets Act (DMA) took effect in 2024, Brussels has treated Google as a “gatekeeper,” already probing how its dominance shapes key digital markets.¹ EU officials argue that Google’s control over Android and Search lets it give its own services a structural edge, especially its Gemini AI assistant and core search business.¹

July 16, 2026: EU hands down binding orders

On July 16, 2026, the European Commission announced new, legally binding “specification measures” targeting two pillars of Google’s power: Android and Search.² The EU ordered Google to give rival AI assistants “comparable access to Android and some Search data” to comply with the DMA, potentially weakening its grip on these platforms and “open[ing] up new opportunities for rivals to gain ground.”¹

Under the Android decision, Google must give third‑party AI assistants the same kind of system hooks and data access as Gemini, so users — not Google — choose their default assistant without losing core features.¹ Regulators say current limits make alternative assistants “less attractive to 60% of EU users who have an Android device.”²

Search data sharing and the privacy backlash

The Commission also ruled that Google must begin sharing search data with competing engines and AI chatbots by January 2027, and apply Android changes by July 2027.¹ EU officials say this is designed to “support interoperability and competition in the European Union,” giving rivals a real shot at loosening Google’s “iron grip on web search.”²

Google, however, warns that the mandated access “could theoretically increase competition” but will “undermine privacy and security,” arguing that exposing more search and on‑device data to third parties heightens risk.² The Commission counters that the measures are “designed to preserve user privacy and device integrity,” insisting safeguards will accompany any data‑sharing obligations.²

If Google fails to comply, the EU can levy fines of up to 10 percent of its global annual turnover — potentially tens of billions of dollars.¹

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1. The Verge – "Google ordered to open Android and Search to rivals in Europe"
"Google must give rival AI assistants and search engines greater access to key parts of Android and Google Search after the European Union ordered the company to comply with the bloc’s digital antitrust rules."
https://www.theverge.com/policy/966438/eu-google-android-ai-interoperability-search-data-dma

2. Ars Technica – "It's official: EU will force Google to share search data and open up AI on Android"
"The European Commission has announced new DMA measures that will force Google to support interoperability and competition in the European Union, and Google is not happy about it."
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/its-official-eu-will-force-google-to-share-search-data-and-open-up-ai-on-android/