EU pushes Google to open Gemini-level Android access to rival AI apps

Europe is trying to stop Gemini from becoming the default gatekeeper inside Android. In Reuters reporting published April 27, the European Commission laid out measures that would force Google to give rival AI services deeper access to Android capabilities, so competing assistants can actually carry out tasks instead of sitting beside Google's own stack. If those measures survive consultation, the fight over AI competition in Europe moves from model rankings to the operating-system layer, where distribution power is much harder to dislodge.

The Commission opened the specification proceeding three months ago under the Digital Markets Act and now says Android users need more real choice over which AI services they use and integrate into their phones. Regulators argue Google currently reserves key capabilities in Android for Gemini on phones and tablets. Their proposed remedy is functional access: rival AI tools should be able to interact with apps on a user's device and complete actions such as sending email through a preferred mail app, ordering food, or sharing a photo. That is far more consequential than simply allowing a rival app into an app store.

Google pushed back hard. The company said Android already provides an open ecosystem for AI assistants and device makers, and warned that the EU plan would mandate access to sensitive hardware and permissions, raise costs, and weaken privacy and security protections for European users. The Commission is giving third parties until May 13 to respond, with a final decision due by the end of July. Under the DMA, non-compliance can carry fines of up to 10% of global annual sales. That threat alone guarantees this will be fought at both the technical and legal level.

• The proceeding sits under the Digital Markets Act
• Third-party feedback is due by May 13, 2026
• The Commission is targeting a final decision by the end of July
• Maximum DMA fines can reach 10% of global annual sales

What makes this bigger than another Brussels skirmish is timing. Earlier in April, Google also received guidance on sharing search data with rivals, including AI chatbots. Now the Commission is extending the same competition logic to the assistant layer inside Android. If Europe succeeds, mobile AI distribution could look less like one bundled experience and more like a contest over who gets to act on the phone after the user asks. Source link: Reuters via WSAU.