The European Commission ordered Google on July 16 to open Android and Google Search to AI competitors. The company has until July 2027 to comply. The fines for noncompliance are steep: up to 10% of global annual revenue, potentially exceeding $30 billion.

This is the Digital Markets Act at work. The EU’s landmark tech regulation treats large platforms like utilities. Google must give competitors equal access. No exceptions. No delays.

What Google Must Do

First: Android devices must let users install and use any AI assistant they prefer. Google’s Gemini cannot be the default. Competitors get the same system permissions, voice activation, and access to in-app functionality. Users should be able to switch assistants as easily as they switch search engines.

Second: Google Search must share its data with rival search engines starting January 2027. Google collects more search signals than anyone. That data advantage is the moat. The EU wants that moat removed.

The Business Case

Google makes most of its revenue from advertising tied to search. Opening Search data sounds radical until you remember that smaller search engines cannot compete without that data. Bing uses Google results in some cases. Competitors use Google data indirectly.

The DMA says this is anticompetitive. The EU is right on one point: artificial restrictions that benefit Google hurt everyone else.

What Happens Next

Google will likely comply. The company has already faced massive EU fines for other violations. Noncompliance is not an option. Expect slow, grudging moves toward compliance. Google will minimize the damage. The EU will keep watching.

Expect this playbook to repeat in the US under future administrations. The DMA is a template now.

For AI companies, this is good news. For Google, it just got more expensive to own Android.