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 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 letting third-party assistants perform actions on a user's behalf such as booking a taxi, offering chat suggestions or answering location queries, all subject to privacy, device-integrity and security safeguards. Google must also share the search-optimization data it uses for its own search service with third-party search engines and AI chatbots offering search functionality, anonymized under a GDPR-aligned multi-layered method, priced fairly and made available through a transparent process, though it may still screen recipients that pose serious cybersecurity or data-protection risks. The announcement did not name specific rival assistants or set compliance deadlines or fines. The Commission said it may revise the measures depending on future market developments.