Apple has sided with Google when it comes to Google’s criticism against EU proposals that would give third-party AI services the same level of access to Android that Gemini has. The European Commission is taking steps to ensure that Google complies with Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules. In January, it told the company it had to give outside AI assistants the same access to Android that its own technology has and hand over to rival search engines “anonymized ranking, query, click and viewing data kept by Google Search.”
The aim, the Commission said, was to give third-party providers a “level playing field to innovate and compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape on smart mobile devices”. It said that opening up Android will keep the AI market open and promote innovation in the field. In April, the Commission released draft rules with measures it wants Google to take to comply with its AI demands. Google’s lawyers argued at the time that these measures would undermine “vital privacy and security for European users” and unnecessarily increase costs. Apple agreed in its feedback sent in response to the Commission’s call for comments on the draft rules issued by Google.
according to reutersApple reiterated Google’s statement that allowing competing AI services full access to Android would undermine the privacy of European users. For example, it would allow them to interact with the apps people use to send emails, order food or share photos. “The DMs (draft measures) raise immediate and serious concerns. If confirmed, they will pose profound risks to user privacy, safety and security, as well as device integrity and performance,” the company reportedly wrote. It says the risks are high because AI systems are still developing and their capabilities and behavior remain unpredictable. The company also questioned the short time the Commission had to write the draft rules, writing, “The EC… is replacing its own judgment with decisions made by Google engineers based on less than three months of work.” “This is even more dangerous because the only value that can be identified from the DM guiding this work appears to be open and unfettered access.”
Apple has acknowledged that it has a strong interest in the matter, noting that it is also being investigated by the Commission. The company has long opposed the Digital Markets Act, which requires Apple to allow third-party marketplaces for apps on its operating system, and previously asked the Commission to repeal it. In January, it accused the EU’s executive body of using “political delay tactics” to investigate and fine the company following the closure of the alternative app store.
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