The European Commission is pushing forward with its mission to level the digital playing field, and this time, the target is the artificial intelligence ecosystem on our smartphones. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU has officially ordered Google to grant third-party AI assistants the exact same deep system access on Android devices that its own homegrown AI, Gemini, currently enjoys.

What does this mean for the Android ecosystem? Historically, third-party assistants have been restricted by runtime consent pop-ups and limited system integration. The new mandate changes the game entirely. Rivals will soon be able to request seamless, background access to the device’s microphone, camera, and screen contents. Furthermore, they will be able to utilize “wake words” even when the screen is off, and autonomously drive other applications by simulating taps and typing. Google is required to implement these massive changes by the release of Android 18, with a hard deadline of August 1, 2027.

The mandate breaks down 11 core operating system features. Six of these—including ambient data collection (like continuous background microphone and camera access) and long-press invocation—must be opened up to all third parties without any certification barriers, relying entirely on user consent.

The Security Pushback Naturally, Google has raised serious security concerns. Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, argued that this decision threatens device security by stripping away the vetting safeguards that phone manufacturers currently rely on. Handing over sensitive permissions like screen reading and notification access to unvetted third parties opens up a Pandora’s box of potential vulnerabilities, such as indirect prompt injections.

To compromise, the EU is allowing Google to gate five highly sensitive features—including context-aware intelligence and centralized on-device data access—behind a new “Qualified AI Assistant Programme.” Google will be allowed to mandate baseline mobile security and agentic risk testing before an AI can touch these core functions. However, they cannot unfairly favor Gemini over the competition.

The next few years will be a delicate balancing act for the tech giant: complying with aggressive antitrust regulations while trying to keep the Android ecosystem from becoming a security nightmare.