The disagreement between the European Union and Google and Apple regarding artificial intelligence-supported digital assistants has reached a new stage. In a binding decision taken in mid-July, the European Commission demanded that Google make its Android operating system more open to third-party artificial intelligence assistants and share certain search data with rival companies. Google and Apple object to the decision, arguing that these regulations may negatively affect user security and privacy. The debate between the parties concerns not only technology companies but also millions of smartphone users in Europe.
According to Google, the changes requested by the European Commission risk weakening the security layers that Android has built up over the years. Kent Walker, the company’s director of legal affairs, stated in his evaluation that third-party applications having broader powers on the device may increase the possibility of malicious use. Walker also claimed that the search data planned to be shared with competitors could not be anonymized securely enough and that companies unknown to the users could access this information. Google Android President Sameer Samat also criticized the Commission’s approach, in his statement on the social media platform X, reminding that Android users can change the default digital assistant from the settings section even today.
European Commission aims to increase competition
The European Commission, on the other hand, does not agree with the security concerns expressed by the companies. According to commission officials, the search data to be shared will be subjected to multi-layer anonymization processes developed with data protection experts. In addition, Google also has the right to evaluate whether the relevant company poses a security risk before handing over the data. In a statement to CNN, the commission spokesperson stated that technology companies have the capacity to develop the necessary additional security mechanisms.
These decisions are a continuation of the regulations aimed at reducing the competition-limiting practices of large technology platforms within the scope of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). DMA aims to prevent large platforms, defined as “gatekeepers”, from prioritizing their own services and enabling rival services to reach users more easily. The European Commission also thinks that a more open structure of the Android ecosystem in the field of artificial intelligence will increase competition.
Apple, on the other hand, follows a different path than Google in this regard. The company announced that it will not offer the new generation Siri artificial intelligence features to iPhone and iPad users in European Union countries. Accordingly, the new Siri experience that will come with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 versions will not be available on these devices in Europe for now. While the same applies to Apple Watch, it is stated that only Mac and Vision Pro users within the European Union will be able to benefit from the new Siri features.
Apple’s senior manager of software engineering, Craig Federighi, stated that the company was not satisfied with the European Commission’s approach. According to Apple, in line with the current interpretation, third-party AI assistants may need to have direct access to user data and control over other applications. For this reason, the company proposed a more controlled access model called “Trusted System Agent”. However, the European Commission did not accept this proposal. It is not yet clear when Apple will offer the new Siri artificial intelligence features to iPhone and iPad users in Europe.
On the other hand, Calli Schroeder, a lawyer working at the privacy-focused Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), states that the security statements of technology companies should be approached cautiously. According to Schroeder, it is noteworthy that Google and Apple voiced their objections to privacy loudly, especially after the decisions began to directly affect their commercial activities. For this reason, it is considered that the debate is not limited to user security only, and competitive balances also play an important role.
No major changes in user experience are expected in the short term. On the Android side, users can currently change the default digital assistant. iPhone users will have to wait for the new Siri artificial intelligence features to become available in European Union countries. Despite this, the increasing use of productive artificial intelligence services on mobile devices is accelerating the competition in this field. According to data from market research company Omdia, the ChatGPT application is installed on approximately 30 percent of smartphones in the European Union. This table shows that artificial intelligence assistants have become one of the determining factors in the competition of the mobile ecosystem, rather than just a technical feature.
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