Kamal Ghorui
Apple has sided with Google against the European Union, telling Brussels that its plan to force Android open to rival AI services is rushed, risky, and could set a precedent that hits Apple next. In a submission to the European Commission seen by Reuters, Apple said the draft measures “raise urgent and serious concerns” and warned of profound risks to user privacy, security, and device integrity.The proposals stem from the EU’s push to make Google comply with the Digital Markets Act, and would let third-party AI assistants plug into Android the way Gemini does—sending emails, ordering food, and sharing photos through the apps people already use.
Why Apple cares about a fight on Google’s turf
Officially, this is Google’s problem. But Apple has acknowledged it has a direct stake. The company runs its own tightly held operating systems and is already under the DMA, which forces it to allow third-party app marketplaces on iOS. If the EU lands a hit on Android here, iOS is almost certainly next.Apple’s submission, filed during the consultation window that ran from April 27 to May 13, went after the Commission’s technical credibility. The EC, the company wrote per Reuters, is “substituting judgments made by Google’s engineers” for its own—based on less than three months of work. Apple called that dangerous, adding that the only goal it can spot in the draft rules is “open and unfettered access.”
The AI access fight that has Apple and Google aligned
Apple flagged artificial intelligence as a moving target regulators don’t fully grasp. The risks, it said, are especially acute given AI systems’ unpredictable capabilities and threat vectors. Google had argued earlier that the measures would gut privacy and security protections European users rely on today. The Commission, for its part, has framed the rules as necessary to stop the AI market tilting permanently toward the biggest players.The EC has until July 27, 2026, to finalise its decision and says it will “carefully assess” all feedback. Apple sued over the DMA in October 2025 and earlier asked Brussels to repeal it outright. The EU concluded this month that the law is working—and has no plans to revise it.
