E.U. Orders Google to Open Android Mic, Camera and Screen to Rival AI Assistants

The European Commission on Thursday ordered Google to give rival AI assistants the same reach into Android that Gemini already has: the camera, the microphone, whatever is on screen, a wake word that fires with the display off, and the ability to drive other apps in the background by imitating taps and typing. Google has to ship it in the next major release, Android 18, and by 1 August 2027 at

According to the European Commission’s DMA enforcement decision, Google must grant rival AI assistants the same Android-level access Gemini has, including continuous ambient data (mic, camera, screen contents, location, sensors), hotword wake, background execution, and screen automation to drive other apps via virtual displays and simulated taps by August 2027.[6][4] The decision defines 11 system features, with 5 gated behind a Qualified AI Assistant Programme and certification, and 6 opened to all third-party apps without certification, while explicitly allowing assistants to perform sensitive, irreversible actions as long as they reconfirm user intent and demonstrate protection against agentic risks.[6] From a RealGround security perspective, opening mic, camera, screen and background control to many third-party AI agents sharply expands the attack surface for AI agent abuse, covert surveillance, and unintended data flows, and creates complex dependencies on Google’s certification and enforcement quality. Organizations deploying or integrating AI assistants on Android will need hardened agent designs, strict business-logic constraints, and ongoing red teaming to prevent assi