The European Commission has published their preliminary conclusions on how Google manages artificial intelligence on Android. According to the organization, the operating system favors Gemini over the rest of its competitors, which is why it requires the company to apply measures to promote interoperability between other AI alternatives in its ecosystem. As might be expected, Google, for its part, is not willing to accept it without a fight.
Another chapter in the Digital Markets Law. This law (DMAfor its acronym in English), is the one that forces large technology companies considered “gatekeepers” (including Alphabet) to guarantee fair conditions of competition on their platforms. Google has been subject to this legislation since March 2024 and because of this has had to introduce changes in Europesuch as showing screens so that the user can choose other search engines apart from Google on Android, or allowing alternative payment methods in its application store.
Now Europe has knocked on the door again, this time over questions about Google’s AI, and it is the next chapter in this tug-of-war between regulation and private companies.
Gemini rules Android. When you turn on an Android mobile with Google services, Gemini It’s already there, integrated at the system level. It can be voice activated, access screen context, interact with other apps, and generate proactive suggestions based on your activity. Applications like ChatGPT or assistant Claude They can be installed, but they do not have the same level of access.
The European Commission points out specific cases where Gemini is the only way available: sending an email from the default email app, ordering food at home or sharing a photo with contacts. That, according to Brussels, is not fair competition.
What the EU proposes. Preliminary measures published last Monday they point in several directions. Third-party AI services should be able to be activated using custom wake words or physical buttons on the device. They should also be able to access screen context when the user opens them, and query local device data to provide suggestions and summaries, something only Gemini now does.
In addition, the Commission proposes that other AIs can control apps autonomously, such as Gemini is already starting to do (although the result still leaves something to be desired in some cases) and that external developers have access to the hardware necessary to run local models with comparable performance.
Finally, Google could be forced to create new APIs and provide technical support to other AI developers who want to integrate into Android, all at no cost to third parties.
Google’s response. The company was quick to react. Clare Kelly, Senior Competition Advisor, described the proposal as an “unwarranted intrusion” that “would require giving access to sensitive hardware and device permissions, unnecessarily increasing costs and undermining critical privacy and security protections for European users.” Google defends that Android is already an open ecosystem and that device manufacturers have full autonomy to customize the AI services they offer to their users.
What’s coming now. The process is not over. The Commission is opening a public consultation until May 13, after which it will review the input they have received (including from Google) before issuing a decision by July 27. If Google does not comply with the measures or an agreement is not reached, the company is exposed to fines of up to 10% of its global annual turnover.
Just like share from Ars Technica, although Google would not have to open its systems all at once, implementing these changes would take time and doing so in a hurry could create security risks. Furthermore, as is often the case with DMA decisions, any changes that finally occur would be, at least in principle, limited to the European market.
Cover image | José García and François Genon
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