Google Gets Six-Month Ultimatum: EU Forces Android Open to Rival AI Search Tools Under DMA Rules

Brussels just dropped a regulatory bomb on Mountain View—and the shockwaves could reshape how billions access information.

The Digital Markets Act enforcement hammer falls

Google's Android empire—the default search gatekeeper on countless devices—now faces a forced opening. EU regulators aren't asking; they're mandating. Six months. That's the countdown for Google to dismantle its walled garden and let rival AI search tools compete directly on its mobile platform.

Why this changes everything for AI

This isn't about browser choice screens. This is about raw, algorithmic access. Think specialized AI search engines for crypto on-chain analysis, real-time DeFi arbitrage scanners, or privacy-first query tools—all potentially sitting where Google Search lives today. The DMA's 'gatekeeper' rules just turned Android's default settings into contested digital real estate.

The ripple effect beyond search

Watch app stores, payment systems, and data portability rules get the same treatment. When gatekeepers must open their core services, innovation doesn't trickle—it floods. New AI models could bypass traditional app downloads entirely, delivering search-as-a-service directly through Android's core interface.

A cynical finance footnote

Of course, Wall Street will spin this as 'regulatory overreach' while quietly funding startups to exploit the very loopholes being created—the ultimate hedge fund move: decry the disruption, then profit from it.

The countdown starts now. Six months until Android's search defaults become a competitive battlefield. The real question isn't whether Google will comply, but which AI disruptors are already building for the post-compliance world.

Brussels sets timeline for compliance

Though not yet a full investigation, the action puts pressure on Google to change how its services operate. The company must allow other businesses to connect with Android and tap into its search information. Brussels authorities set a six-month window for Google to make these changes or risk financial punishment down the road.

The two reviews will wrap up in six months, with the Commission planning to share initial findings with Google within three months.

“With today’s proceedings, we want to help Google by explaining in more detail how it should comply with its interoperability and online search data sharing obligations,” said Teresa Ribera, the EU’s competition chief. She noted the AI proceedings aim to let companies “maximise the potential and the benefits of this profound technological shift by making sure the playing field is open and fair, not tilted in favour of the largest few.”

Google raises concerns over new regulations

Google pushed back against the EU’s demands. Clare Kelly, the company’s senior competition counsel, said Google worries that additional regulations “often driven by competitor grievances rather than the interest of consumers, will compromise user privacy, security, and innovation.”

The latest action adds to Google’s regulatory troubles in Europe. Alphabet Inc.’s Google is already facing upcoming penalties under the DMA for allegedly promoting its own services across its search business and blocking app makers from directing customers to deals outside its Play Store. Regulators are also looking into whether Google unfairly pushes down certain news content in search results.

The growing scrutiny could increase Google’s existing €9.5 billion in EU fines and further strain ties with the TRUMP administration.

Under the new proceedings, the EU might launch a formal investigation if Google doesn’t cooperate. That could lead to fines reaching 10% of worldwide yearly revenue, though Brussels rarely imposes maximum penalties.

The EU’s executive branch said previously it WOULD examine AI as part of its scheduled DMA review, expected by May this year. The enforcement strategy mirrors past actions. In September 2024, the Commission started similar proceedings against Apple, focusing on its DMA requirements for iOS app developers and connected devices.

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