Why Apple Opposes the EU Plan to Force Google to Open Android to Rival AI Assistants

The European Union is considering new rules that would require Google to open key Android capabilities to rival AI assistants. The proposal is part of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark regulation designed to curb the power of dominant tech “gatekeepers” and increase competition in digital platforms.

Surprisingly, Apple has sided with Google in criticizing the proposal. Apple argues that forcing deeper access to Android for third‑party AI systems could undermine privacy, security, and device safety—issues the company says regulators may be underestimating. The disagreement highlights a broader debate about how open the next generation of AI assistants should be.

What the EU Wants Google to Do

Under the DMA, the European Commission can require large platforms to make certain services interoperable with third‑party competitors. In January 2026, the Commission opened specification proceedings to define how Google must comply with Android interoperability obligations.

Draft measures published during that process propose that Google ensure “effective access and interoperability” between Android and third‑party AI services.

The goal is to allow competing assistants to interact with Android devices in ways similar to Google’s own AI systems. In practice, that could include capabilities such as:

• Voice activation and assistant wake‑word features
• Integration with system search and device functions
• The ability to interact with apps to perform tasks (for example sending emails, sharing photos, or ordering food)

These changes are intended to let alternative assistants operate as full system helpers rather than ordinary apps.

EU regulators argue that this level of interoperability is necessary to ensure real competition between AI services on mobile devices. Without it, operating‑system owners could reserve the most powerful integrations for their own assistants.

Apple’s Main Objection: Privacy and Security Risks

Apple’s submission to EU regulators warns that granting deep system access to multiple third‑party AI services could introduce serious privacy and safety concerns. According to Apple, AI assistants often process highly personal information and interact across many apps and device features.

If multiple external AI systems receive expanded access to Android services, Apple argues it could:

• Increase exposure of sensitive user data
• Weaken centralized security controls on devices
• Introduce new attack surfaces for malicious actors

Apple’s position is that operating‑system vendors must maintain strict control over system‑level access to guarantee consistent privacy protections. The company says the proposed rules could undermine that architecture.

Why Google Also Pushes Back

Google’s objections overlap with Apple’s security arguments but also involve competitive concerns.

The proposed measures could require Google to grant rival assistants the same Android capabilities currently available to its own AI systems. That would limit Google’s ability to differentiate its assistant through exclusive platform integration.

In effect, the rules could turn Android into a neutral platform layer for competing AI assistants, including services built by rival companies.

From Google’s perspective, that could reduce its control over:

• System‑level assistant features
• How third‑party AI services interact with apps
• Data flows between Android services and AI providers

The Technical Challenge of AI Assistant Interoperability

Unlike typical mobile apps, AI assistants often need deep integration with operating‑system capabilities to function effectively.

For example, assistants may require access to:

• On‑screen content
• Voice inputs and audio processing
• Messaging and communication apps
• System automation features

Providing this access across multiple independent AI providers raises complex technical questions about permissions, safeguards, and oversight.

Regulators must determine how to allow meaningful interoperability while preventing unsafe or overly broad access to sensitive device data.

The Regulatory Balancing Act

At the center of the dispute is a classic tension in technology regulation.

The Digital Markets Act aims to open digital ecosystems and prevent dominant platforms from favoring their own services. But platform operators argue that forced openness can conflict with their responsibility to protect user privacy and device security.

For EU regulators, the challenge is designing interoperability requirements that:

• Enable real competition among AI services
• Preserve strong security protections
• Avoid turning mobile operating systems into insecure shared infrastructure

The final technical specifications will determine how much access rival AI assistants actually receive and what safeguards accompany that access.

What It Means for Android Users

If the EU proceeds with the proposal, Android users could gain significantly more choice in AI assistants.

Instead of relying primarily on Google’s built‑in assistant, users could potentially run competing services with comparable system‑level integration.

However, more powerful integrations from multiple providers could also mean:

• More complex permission management
• Greater exposure of personal data to multiple AI systems
• Less uniform privacy and safety standards across assistants

Exactly how these trade‑offs play out will depend on the final safeguards included in the EU’s implementation rules.

Why This Dispute Matters for the Future of AI Platforms

Beyond the immediate Android policy debate, the case highlights a larger shift in the technology industry.

AI assistants are rapidly becoming a new platform layer—interfaces that control how users interact with devices, apps, and online services. Whichever companies control that layer could gain enormous strategic influence.

The EU’s proposed rules aim to prevent that layer from becoming locked to a single ecosystem provider. Apple and Google argue that opening it too widely could weaken core platform protections.

The final decision will help determine whether the next generation of AI assistants operates as open interoperable services or tightly integrated platform features—a choice that could reshape competition across the entire mobile ecosystem.