EU Orders Google To Open Android To Rival AI

On January 27, 2026, the European Union (EU) made a bold move to reshape the digital landscape by mandating that Google remove barriers for rival artificial intelligence (AI) search tools on its ubiquitous Android system. The decision, announced by the EU’s executive arm, marks a significant step in enforcing the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA)—a sweeping piece of legislation designed to level the playing field between tech giants and their smaller competitors. The DMA’s goal is straightforward: enhance competition and transparency in the search market, ensuring that no single company, even one as dominant as Google, can stifle innovation or limit consumer choice.

According to reporting from Cryptopolitan, the EU’s mandate gives Google a six-month deadline to comply. The tech giant must eliminate obstacles that have historically prevented AI search tools from operating freely on Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system. The move isn’t just about breaking down technical walls—it’s about giving smaller AI companies and competing search engines the same opportunities as Google’s own services, including access to advanced features and crucial data streams.

The EU’s announcement was detailed further by the Associated Press, which explained that the European Commission is opening what it calls “specification proceedings.” These are not full-blown investigations, but rather targeted regulatory actions that will clarify exactly how Google must comply with the DMA. The proceedings will focus on ensuring that third-party AI companies receive “equally effective access to the same features” available through Google’s own Gemini AI services. In addition, the EU will examine whether Google is providing fair and reasonable access to Google Search data—an essential resource for any company hoping to compete in the AI-powered search space. Notably, the proceedings will also determine if AI chatbot providers are eligible to tap into this data, potentially opening new frontiers for conversational AI applications.

The specification proceedings are set to wrap up within six months, at which point the Commission will impose draft measures on Google. For the tech world, this timeline is tight, and the stakes are high. If Google fails to comply, it could face significant penalties or further regulatory action. The DMA’s teeth are sharp: it’s designed to ensure that the largest digital platforms—often called “gatekeepers”—don’t abuse their market power to the detriment of smaller rivals and, ultimately, consumers.

Google, for its part, has responded with a mix of cooperation and concern. Clare Kelly, Google’s senior competition counsel, voiced the company’s reservations in a statement reported by the Associated Press: “Android is open by design, and we’re already licensing Search data to competitors under the DMA. However, we are concerned that further rules which are often driven by competitor grievances rather than the interest of consumers, will compromise user privacy, security, and innovation.” Kelly’s comments reflect a longstanding tension between regulatory efforts to foster competition and the tech industry’s warnings about unintended consequences—such as weakened security or diminished user experience.

The European Commission, however, is adamant that its approach is both fair and necessary. Teresa Ribera, executive vice president of the Commission overseeing competition affairs, emphasized the broader vision behind the DMA. As quoted by the Associated Press, Ribera explained that the EU seeks to “maximize the potential and the benefits of this profound technological shift by making sure the playing field is open and fair, not tilted in favor of the largest few.” It’s a sentiment that resonates across Europe, where concerns about Big Tech’s dominance have spurred a wave of legislative and regulatory initiatives in recent years.

This latest action adds to the mounting pressure on Google, which is already under antitrust scrutiny in the EU. Last year, regulators began investigating whether the company had given itself an unfair advantage by leveraging online content for its AI models and services. The Digital Markets Act, in many ways, is a direct response to such concerns—an attempt to ensure that the next generation of digital innovation isn’t monopolized by a handful of Silicon Valley giants.

Meanwhile, Google’s AI ambitions continue to expand. On the same day as the EU’s announcement, Formula E—the all-electric racing championship—revealed a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud, naming it the principal AI partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This collaboration, as reported by Formula E and Google Cloud, builds on an earlier partnership formalized in January 2025 and brings Google’s cutting-edge Gemini models to the forefront of motorsport innovation.

Under the agreement, Formula E will integrate Google Cloud technologies, including Gemini, across its business operations. The partnership has already yielded impressive results: Google’s AI Studio and Gemini models were used to map the optimal route for the Genbeta car’s mountain descent, and to analyze braking zones for energy regeneration during a lap of the iconic Monaco circuit. These applications showcase AI’s transformative potential—not only in enhancing athletic performance but also in driving sustainability. By using advanced AI modeling to create digital twins of race sites, Formula E can simulate and optimize logistics virtually, reducing the need for on-site reconnaissance and heavy equipment transport. The result? A lower operational carbon footprint without sacrificing competitive edge.

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds described the expanded partnership as a “game-changer for Formula E and for motorsport as a whole.” In his words, “The integration of Google Cloud’s AI capabilities will unlock a new dimension of real-time performance optimization and strategic decision-making, both for the championship and for our global broadcast audience. This collaboration will redefine how fans experience our races, and set a new benchmark for technology integration in sport worldwide.”

Tara Brady, president of Google Cloud EMEA, echoed this enthusiasm, telling reporters, “Formula E is a hub of innovation, where milliseconds can define success. This expanded partnership is a testament to the power of Google Cloud’s AI and data analytics, showing how our technology can deliver a competitive advantage in the most demanding scenarios.”

But even as Google touts its AI prowess in high-profile arenas like Formula E, the company must grapple with the regulatory headwinds blowing from Brussels. The EU’s insistence on fair access to Gemini AI services and Google Search data could reshape not only how Google does business in Europe, but also the broader trajectory of AI development worldwide. For smaller AI firms and rival search engines, the DMA offers a rare opening—a chance to compete on more equal footing with one of the world’s most powerful tech companies.

As the six-month clock ticks down, all eyes will be on Google and the European Commission. The outcome will determine whether the DMA can truly foster the competition and innovation it promises—or whether the digital marketplace remains, as some critics fear, tilted in favor of the few. For now, the message from Brussels is clear: the era of unchecked tech dominance is over, and the race to redefine the future of AI and digital search is just beginning.