How Google Outplays EU Regulations

The European Union has ordered Google to grant rival AI assistants deeper access to Android, the open-source mobile operating system used by billions of people globally. While this might appear as a setback for the tech giant, which has long resisted such openness, the reality is far more favorable. It is, in fact, a regulatory victory for Google and a clear sign that the company has outmaneuvered Apple by playing the EU’s game with far greater skill.

On Thursday, the European Commission, the EU’s antitrust enforcer, issued a decision requiring Google to provide competing AI assistants with the same system-level features and data access it gives its own Gemini assistant. This directive stems from the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which obligates designated “gatekeepers” to offer competitors comparable access to their platforms.

Google has until July 2027 to comply, granting it roughly a year to further develop Gemini, negotiate technical standards with regulators, and shape how rivals will eventually integrate into Android. The company could also challenge the ruling in court, though it has not confirmed whether it will do so and declined to comment when approached by The Verge.

Although Google has consistently opposed opening its systems, citing risks to user safety, security, and privacy, this extended timeline compounds its existing advantages. Gemini is already deeply embedded in Android and often comes preinstalled as the default AI assistant on many devices. This gives Google more time to cement its lead before competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic gain comparable access.

Google’s approach of launching first and negotiating later contrasts sharply with Apple’s. When Apple unveiled its new Siri AI assistant last month, it prominently announced that the feature would not launch in Europe due to the DMA.

The Commission similarly ruled that Apple must give third-party assistants access to the same systems, features, and data as Siri AI. Apple argued this would be irresponsible, creating unacceptable privacy and security risks. It requested an 18-month grace period to build a compliant version and roll out interoperability gradually. The Commission rejected that request.

Apple still has no public timeline for bringing Siri AI to the EU and did not respond to The Verge’s inquiry. Meanwhile, Google has secured the very grace period Apple wanted: time to comply with the DMA while keeping Gemini on the market.

This divergence may reflect where each company’s AI assistant stood when the DMA began shaping product decisions. Gemini has been a central part of Google’s AI strategy for years and is widely distributed across its ecosystem, giving Google strong reasons to stay in the market and figure out compliance later. Apple, by contrast, unveiled its new Siri AI only recently and chose to withhold it from the EU, despite having years to anticipate the DMA’s requirements during the product’s design.

Apple also turned Siri AI’s absence into a public relations tool, hoping public pressure would force Brussels to relax its rules. It did so loudly and repeatedly, dedicating part of its WWDC 2026 keynote to explaining why Siri AI would not come to Europe, publishing a pointed blog post titled “Due to DMA, Siri AI delayed in EU for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27,” and holding media briefings. It mentioned China’s exclusion via a single-sentence footnote. All of this framed Brussels, not Apple’s choices, as the reason for the delay.

It is also possible that the public split is less dramatic behind the scenes. Both Google and Apple strongly oppose the DMA’s interoperability demands, arguing they threaten privacy, security, and product integrity. The two companies have also collaborated on integrating Gemini into Apple’s AI products, including Siri AI, suggesting they may have remained in contact while pursuing different strategies against the same regulations.

For now, however, the contrast is clear. Google has a year to align Android with the law while expanding Gemini. Brussels denied Apple that same runway, and it remains unclear when Siri AI will reach the EU.