Signal Commission adopts binding DMA requirements ordering Google to open Android to rival AI assistants

Summary

The European Commission adopted binding requirements under the Digital Markets Act on 20 July 2026 (guidance published 16 July 2026) ordering Google to open Android to competing AI assistants. The requirements include enabling voice-command activation of third-party AI assistants comparable to "Hey Google," granting rival AI services access to Android operating system features currently restricted, and allowing third-party assistants to perform actions on users' behalf such as booking a taxi, offering chat suggestions or answering location queries, subject to privacy, device-integrity and security safeguards. Google must also share, with third-party search engines and AI chatbots offering search functionality, the search optimisation data it uses for its own search services, anonymised under a multi-layered methodology in line with GDPR, priced under a fair formula and made available through a transparent access process; Google may still assess recipients for serious cybersecurity and data-protection risks before sharing. The announcement does not name specific rival AI assistants or set specific compliance deadlines or financial penalties, and the Commission says it may amend the measures based on future market developments.