EU Orders Google to Open Android to AI Rivals
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- European Commission issued two DMA decisions ordering Google to provide rival AI assistants and search engines comparable access to Android and some Search data.
- Google received roughly a year to open Android to third-party AI assistants in Europe, per Telecompaper's coverage of the decision.
- Google warned of privacy risks in complying with the order, per 9to5Google's coverage.
- Android users could soon replace 'Hey Google' with rival chatbots under the new requirements, per Android Police.
- Rival AI assistants stand to gain full access to Android features, per Android Authority.
- Bloomberg Law frames the decision specifically as requiring 'Gemini Rivals Equal Access' to Android, making the order's target explicit.
Why it matters: Android's default AI-assistant slot has been Gemini's structural moat across Europe. The DMA decisions let users swap 'Hey Google' for OpenAI or other chatbots with comparable Search data — Google loses platform-level lock-in on Android in Europe, and other regulators gain a working DMA template to copy.
