July 16 (UPI) — The European Commission has ordered Google to share its Android features and search data with competitors on Thursday.
The European Union has placed these requirements on Google under the Digital Markets Act. It said that Google sharing features and data with competitors will allow fair competition for third-party AI developers.
“Today’s decision will ensure that users can activate their preferred AI assistant via voice commands, similar to the ‘Hey Google’ command,” the announcement by the European Commission said of sharing Android services. “Users will be able to use third-party AI assistants to perform actions in apps on their behalf. Importantly, the measures incorporate robust safeguards to ensure that the privacy of users, device integrity and security are protected.”
As for Google sharing search data, the commission said data sharing is “crucial for the development and optimization of third-party search engines.” It added that Google’s data sharing has been ineffective, necessitating new requirements.
Google is required to begin sharing search data with “eligible search engine providers” beginning in January. Users will begin to see changes to Android in July 2027. The commission notes that these specification requirements are legally binding.
“The aim of these measures is to allow companies to be able to offer European users a wider and more feature-rich range of options to choose from, both when it comes to their AI services on Android and to search services,” the commission said.
