Beyond fines: Europe forces Google to technically open up Android and its search data

On 16 July 2026 the European Commission spelled out the rules of the game for Google, adopting two binding specification measures under the Digital Markets Act. These are not financial penalties but precise technical prescriptions issued by DG Competition and DG Connect, designed to correct the gatekeeper's behaviour. The goal, as Brussels put it, is to widen the range of options for European users, letting competitors and developers offer richer, more capable services.

The first package of measures concerns the interoperability of the Android operating system. Google will have to let third-party smart assistants access eleven features grouped into four tiers, from voice invocation to contextual data and on-device resources. According to the specialist outlet TECHi, most of these features will debut with Android 18 by 1 August 2027, with support for simultaneous wake words expected by 1 August 2028 (Android 19). The potential impact is significant, covering roughly 60% of Android users in the Union.

The second pillar requires Google to share search data with competitors, including AI chatbots, through a transparent, fair-price access mechanism. The data, anonymised via a multi-layered method aligned with the draft joint DMA-GDPR guidelines, will be available no sooner than seven days after the query (and may be retained for up to five years). The final price is expected in January 2027, but the process foresees a gradual release of datasets and licences in the preceding months. The move is not without friction: Kent Walker, Google's President of Global Affairs, has warned of the risk of weakening privacy and security safeguards, a theme that remains central to implementing these forced openings.

To mitigate the risks, the EU has set objective security criteria for five sensitive capabilities, such as screen automation and access to app data, requiring independent certification for services that intend to use these features. Google must publish draft eligibility terms by February 2027 and open applications in May of the same year. It is a complex path that balances opening the market with the need to keep the ecosystem safe for consumers.

There is a certain irony in the fact that antitrust's most fearsome weapon is no longer the size of the fine, but the obligation to dismantle your own walls brick by brick. Forcing Google to share its search data and its deep Android integration is like ordering a fortress to open its gates and hand the keys to the neighbours. The real challenge now will not be legal but engineering: making sure this forced coexistence does not turn security into an optional extra.

— Olya