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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

• The European Commission has ordered Google to open Android to competing AI assistants and share anonymized Google Search query data with rivals.
• The Commission wants to ensure that users can activate their preferred AI assistant via voice commands, similar to the “Hey Google” wake word trigger. Users will also be able to use third-party AI assistants to perform actions in apps on their behalf.
• Google has fiercely opposed the decision, warning that granting deep, system-level permissions to external apps bypasses hardware safety guardrails and risks a security catastrophe.

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The ongoing control war between Big Tech and European regulators has reached a boiling point. In a move that could reshape how we use our phones, the European Commission has issued strict new guidance to Google under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), demanding that the company open up Android to third-party AI assistants and share data from its crown jewel, Google Search. The decision is framed as a push for fair competition, but Google has immediately fired back (again), warning that forcing its hand could lead to a privacy and security catastrophe for millions of European users.

According to the European Commission’s official press release, the new mandates are designed to foster innovation and break Google’s monopoly over mobile AI and search. By forcing Google to ensure full AI interoperability on Android and share anonymized search click and query data with rivals, the EU hopes to give alternative services (and competing AI models) a fighting chance.