EU Orders Google to Open Android to Rival AI

The European Commission is pressuring Google to open the Android operating system to competing artificial intelligence services, such as ChatGPT and Claude. Following preliminary findings from a January 2026 investigation, the regulator unveiled draft measures on April 27, 2026, to prevent Google from favoring its own Gemini assistant. The proposed rules would require Google to grant rivals equal access to voice activation via custom wake words, system gestures, and the ability to execute deep-level tasks like ordering food or sending emails through user-selected apps.

Google has condemned the move as an "unwarranted intervention," arguing that mandating such access would compromise user privacy and security while increasing costs. The company maintains that the Play Store already allows users to download competing AI applications. Additionally, the United States government under President Donald Trump criticized the EU for unfairly targeting American firms through the Digital Markets Act.

The initiative is part of a broader enforcement of the Digital Markets Act to ensure fair competition, including a separate April 16 proposal to compel Google to share search data with rivals. The European Commission opened a public consultation period until May 13, 2026, and is expected to issue a final binding decision by July 27, 2026. Failure to comply with these standards could result in formal probes and financial penalties of up to 10% of a company's total global turnover.