EU orders Google to open Android and share search data

The European Union issued two new rules requiring Google to share search data and make Android more accessible to rival AI companies. Regulators said the measures are intended to support innovation and give users in the EU more choice beyond Google Search and Google’s Gemini services.

The European Commission said AI agents not made by Google could not function on Android phones at the same level as Gemini. Google must allow voice-activation for alternative AI agents and let them run background tasks, including booking restaurants through third-party apps.

By January 2027, Google must begin sharing anonymized search data with some rivals. The commission said Google’s vast user data gives it an advantage competitors cannot match, making data access necessary to level the playing field in search.

Kent Walker, president of global affairs for Google and Alphabet, said the requirements could backfire by removing safeguards such as vetting third-party AI assistants. He warned that Europeans’ private searches could be exposed without adequate anonymization, user knowledge or consent, risking privacy, business trade secrets and national security.