EU Orders Google to Open Android and Search Data to Rival AI Assistants Under DMA

The European Commission on July 16, 2026 formally ordered Google to grant rival AI assistants and search engines access to 11 core Android functions and to share anonymised search-optimisation data, a landmark application of the bloc's Digital Markets Act aimed at breaking the company's grip on the AI and search markets. The move requires Google to give competitors such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity the same system-level footing that its own Gemini assistant enjoys on Android devices, which account for roughly 60% of smartphones in the EU.