EU Forces Google to Open Android AI Access

The European Commission has formally ordered Google to give third-party AI services the same access to Android device features that Gemini already has, extending the EU’s Digital Markets Act interoperability rules to AI assistants.

The move puts Google under many of the same obligations the Commission has pushed on Apple. Under the order, Google must let competing AI apps reach 11 features, including system-level entry points and deeper access to apps, sensors, and on-device resources.

The Commission says rival services must be able to:

• launch through voice triggers like “Hey Google” or from access points such as the home button or another activation button
• complete actions in and across apps, including long-running background tasks
• use context from apps and device sensors so they can provide proactive assistance and anticipate user needs
• access sufficient hardware and software resources, including Google’s on-device AI models, to execute tasks

Google has a full year to implement changes needed for compliance, and the majority of the Commission’s requirements must be in place by August 1, 2027. That timeline comes before any legal appeals Google may pursue.

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According to the source, this is also why Siri AI will not be available in the European Union when iOS 27 launches. While Apple tried to negotiate with regulators before launch, Google rolled out Gemini integration on Android first and is now dealing with the regulatory fallout afterward. That means Android users in Europe keep full Gemini access while Google works through compliance.

Apple previously said EU regulators rejected all of its proposals for bringing Siri AI to Europe and would not engage on options that “preserve privacy and security.” Apple had proposed a Trusted System Agent that would let third-party assistants safely access the same capabilities as Siri AI. Apple argued the DMA would require it to give outside AI systems “nearly unlimited access to a user’s device,” along with the ability to act on that information autonomously.

The Commission, for its part, said Apple was “unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards” and had instead sought a blanket exemption it did not receive.

Google struck a similar note in response to the order, saying the requirements “risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans.” The company has not detailed its next steps, but said it will “continue advocating for a balanced approach that protects privacy and security while supporting market goals.”