The EU shows no signs of abating its regulatory efforts against tech giants, and this time it has once again targeted Google, specifically its core future strategy – AI.
The European Commission has once again targeted Google.Initiate new regulatory proceduresThe directive explicitly requires Google to grant third-party AI services the same system access permissions on Android as Google Gemini. Furthermore, Google must also hand over its search engine data to competitors to avoid impacting market competition.
Gemini shouldn't be the only option; ChatGPT also needs to be able to achieve "deep integration."
With the advent of the AI smartphone era, Google is actively integrating Gemini deeply into the Android system (e.g., reading screen content, cross-app operation). However, the EU believes that this "advantage" may violate fair market competition.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President for Science, Technology Sovereignty and Security at the European Commission, stated, "Our goal is to ensure that the AI market remains open." Therefore, Google is required to provide "equal opportunities" to third-party AI providers such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, or Microsoft's Copilot.
This means that if Gemini can access Android's underlying APIs to read text messages, view calendars, or perceive screen content, then Google must open up the same APIs to competitors and not allow Gemini to enjoy exclusive privileges.
Search for data sharing and break data monopolies
Besides AI, the EU has also targeted Google's core business—search engines. The EU has mandated that Google provide "anonymized ranking, query, click, and browsing data" to its competitors' search engines.
The EU's logic is that Google Search is powerful because it uses massive amounts of user data to train its algorithms. To give smaller search engines like DuckDuckGo, Bing, or Ecosia more room to survive, Google must share this data to help its competitors optimize their services, thus giving consumers more viable alternatives.
The penalty is limited to six months; violators will be fined 10% of their global revenue.
The European Commission plans to conclude these regulatory procedures within the next six months, effectively giving Google a clear deadline for improvement. If Google's proposed solutions fail to satisfy the EU, it will face formal investigations and hefty fines, potentially reaching up to 10% of Google's total annual global revenue.
This is not the first time Google has been targeted by the EU. Last March, Google was also criticized for allegedly misrepresenting search results.Favoritism towards one's own service Google has been accused of violating digital markets law by restricting Google Play Store developers from directing users to use external payment methods (such as shopping and travel) and by limiting such access to external payment options. Late last year, the EU also launched an investigation into whether Google used content from news publishers without compensation to train AI.
Analysis of viewpoints
Google's original strategy was to leverage Android's massive market share to make Gemini the world's most knowledgeable AI assistant, thereby consolidating its dominant position in the AI era. But now the EU is demanding that the "gates be opened," which will completely change the Android ecosystem.
For consumers, this might be a good thing: in the future, Android phones may be able to completely replace the system's default assistant with ChatGPT, and its functions will not be crippled. It can help you set alarms and send messages, just like Gemini.
But for Google, this would be a double blow:
• AI's moat has failed:If system permissions must be shared, Google cannot leverage its hardware advantages to bind users to Gemini.
• Search data outflow:Search data is Google's most valuable asset, and being forced to share it with competitors is tantamount to "aiding the enemy."
However, granting third-party apps access to low-level permissions also creates significant cybersecurity and privacy risks. Google will undoubtedly defend itself by citing "user security" or by setting up technical barriers. This cat-and-mouse game between the EU and tech giants will likely intensify in 2026.
