EU tells Google it must give rival AI services like ChatGPT and Claude the same Android access it reserves for Gemini

The European Commission issued preliminary findings under the Digital Markets Act requiring Google to open Android's hardware and software capabilities to competing AI providers, which are currently locked out of device functions that Gemini can already perform, including composing and sending emails, placing food orders, sharing photos, and adjusting hardware settings like screen brightness. Under the proposed rules, users could invoke third-party AI services through personalized trigger phrases and the long-press home button gesture, and competing AI providers would also gain access to app data stored on the device for proactive, context-aware suggestions — with Google barred from charging third parties for the interoperability it must provide. Google pushed back, calling the proposal an “unwarranted intervention” that would “mandate access to sensitive hardware and device permissions” and undermine privacy and security protections, while the Commission has opened a public consultation through May 13 before issuing a final enforceable ruling that could carry penalties of up to 10% of Alphabet's worldwide annual revenue.