Google has pushed back against the European Commission’s new interoperability requirements for AI assistants under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), warning that the decisions could weaken user privacy and security while exposing Android users to greater risks. Apple has raised similar concerns over comparable interoperability requirements imposed on its devices.
The criticism follows the European Commission’s adoption of two binding specification decisions on July 16. Google President of Global Affairs Kent Walker said the rulings “risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans” and argued the company had proposed alternative solutions that would protect users while meeting the DMA’s objectives.
Walker said the Android interoperability decision threatens device security by granting third-party apps access to sensitive device permissions without the safeguards currently in place. He added that the move comes as the EU’s own cybersecurity agency warns that “security fundamentals matter more than ever in the age of AI.”
The first set of rules is intended to help third-party AI assistants compete more effectively with Google’s own AI assistant, Gemini, by providing them with greater access to key Android system functionalities.
The second set of rules requires Google to share certain Google Search data with qualifying third-party search engines to help them compete more effectively with Google Search.
Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat echoed those concerns in a post on X, arguing that the European Commission was “on the wrong track” with its DMA interoperability rules. Calling Android “far more open than any other mobile OS,” he said device makers can decide which AI assistants to preload and users can switch to any assistant they choose.
He added that instead of supporting this model, the Commission was repeatedly adding complex rules that make it more difficult to build “good/safe consumer experiences” on Android.
The EC is on the wrong track with DMA 6.7 and is steering toward a much worse experience for Android users.
Android is far more open than any other mobile OS. Device makers can decide which assistant(s) to preload. Users can switch to any assistant that they select.
This is how…
— Sameer Samat (@ssamat) July 17, 2026
Apple has also pushed back against the EU’s interoperability requirements. In June, the company announced that it would delay the launch of Siri AI on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 in the European Union, saying regulators had rejected all of its proposed solutions for safely supporting other virtual assistants.
Apple argued that the Commission’s interpretation of the DMA would require it to give third-party virtual assistants direct access to users’ private data and the ability to directly control installed applications without the essential protections necessary to keep users and their data safe.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, said Apple hopes to eventually bring Siri AI to the European Union and will continue to engage with EU regulators. “However, their refusal to engage constructively on solutions that preserve privacy and security means we do not currently have a timeline for Siri AI’s availability on iOS and iPadOS in the EU,” he said.
The European Commission adopted specification decisions in March 2025 under the Digital Markets Act, requiring Apple to improve interoperability between its iPhone and iPad operating systems and third-party connected devices and services. Apple subsequently challenged the Commission’s interoperability specification decisions, arguing the requirements create “a process that is unreasonable, costly, and stifles innovation.”
The Commission has defended the measures, saying they would give consumers a wider choice of connected devices and services while preserving Apple’s ability to protect user privacy and security. “Interoperability enables a deeper and more seamless integration of third-party products with Apple’s ecosystem,” it said.
In a separate development, the EU General Court on July 8 dismissed Apple’s actions related to its designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act and ruled the company’s actions concerning iMessage inadmissible. Apple retains the right to appeal the judgment.
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