The European Commission has announced new Digital Markets Act (DMA) measures requiring Google to support interoperability and competition in the EU. The measures cover two areas: Android and search. Google, designated a "gatekeeper" under the DMA, has no choice but to comply with these legally binding requirements.
On Android, Google must open its platform to competing AI assistants. Currently, Google's Gemini is preloaded on all Google-certified Android phones and responds to the "Hey Google" hot word, while third-party AI assistants face limitations. The Commission notes that 60% of EU users have Android devices, making this change significant for the AI assistant market.
Google will also be required to share search data with competing search providers, providing information transparently and at reasonable fees. AI chatbots must be treated as search services for data-sharing purposes. Google argues the measures will undermine privacy and security, though the Commission states the requirements were designed to preserve user privacy and device integrity.