The European Commission Orders Google to Open Access to Android's Microphone and Camera to Competitors

The European Commission has ordered Google to put third-party AI assistants on an equal footing with its own Gemini assistant in the Android operating system.

What the Regulator Requires

Under the order, competing AI assistants must be granted access to the same platform capabilities as Gemini: the camera, the microphone and the contents of the device's screen. In addition, third-party apps will be able to use their own wake word for activation even when the screen is off.

A separate requirement concerns background operation: third-party assistants must be given the ability to control other apps by simulating taps on the screen and text entry — that is, to perform the same actions currently available only to Google's system assistant.

Implementation Timeline

Google is required to implement these changes in the next major version of the operating system — Android 18. According to the European Commission's order, all the requirements must take effect no later than August 1, 2027.

Context

The decision continues European regulators' push to curb the privileges that large technology companies enjoy within their own ecosystems. Similar measures have previously been applied to other Google services and to other corporations under EU antitrust law.

The order effectively strips Gemini of its exclusive access to Android system features that were previously unavailable to competing developers of AI assistants. This could shift the balance of power in the market for voice and multimodal assistants on Android devices, opening the way for deeper integration of third-party services at the operating-system level.

Source: The Hacker News