Google is better at playing the EU regulations game

Today, the European Union ordered Google to springiness its AI rivals greater entree to Android, the open-source operating strategy that powers billions of devices worldwide. The request is hardly surprising. It whitethorn look for illustration a conclusion connected insubstantial for Google, which has spent years resisting precisely this benignant of access, but it is simply a regulatory win. It’s besides a motion that Google whitethorn person outmaneuvered Apple by playing Brussels’ regulatory crippled acold much shrewdly.

In 1 of 2 decisions handed down connected Thursday, the European Commission — the EU’s executive limb and the main enforcer of the bloc’s title rules — said Google must springiness rival AI assistants the aforesaid benignant of strategy features and information entree it grants Google’s Gemini. The bid stems from Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires ascendant platforms designated arsenic “gatekeepers” to springiness competitors entree to definite systems and information comparable to what is disposable to their ain services.

Crucially, Google has until July 2027 to make those changes, giving it astir a twelvemonth to proceed expanding Gemini, discuss method specifications pinch the EU, and style really its rivals will yet plug into Android. The institution could besides situation the determination successful court, though it has not commented publically whether it plans to do truthful and declined to remark connected the grounds erstwhile The Verge inquired.

While Google has made it clear it would alternatively not unfastened its systems astatine each — arguing it risks compromising users’ safety, security, and privateness — that yearlong runway compounds an already important advantage. Gemini is already profoundly integrated into Android and often ships preinstalled arsenic the default AI adjunct connected galore devices, giving Google much clip to fortify its position earlier rivals for illustration OpenAI and Anthropic summation comparable levels of access.

Google’s strategy of shipping first and negotiating pinch regulators later stands successful stark opposition to Apple’s. When Apple announced its long-awaited Siri AI adjunct past month, it made a large constituent of saying the characteristic would not motorboat successful Europe because of the DMA.

As pinch Android, the Commission said Apple would request to springiness third-party assistants comparable entree to cardinal systems, features, and information to those of Siri AI. Apple based on that doing truthful “would beryllium irresponsible” and create unacceptable privateness and information risks. The institution said it asked the Commission for 18 months to build a compliant type and present the required interoperability connected a “gradually rolling” basis. The Commission rejected that proposal.

Apple still has nary nationalist timeline for when, aliases moreover whether, it plans to bring Siri AI to the EU and did not respond to The Verge’s petition for comment. Google, meanwhile, conscionable secured the very grace play for Gemini that Apple wanted for Siri AI: clip to comply pinch the DMA while its AI adjunct stays connected the market.

The opposition whitethorn partially bespeak wherever each company’s AI adjunct stood erstwhile the DMA began shaping merchandise decisions. Gemini has been the cardinal pillar of Google’s AI strategy for years and has been wide distributed crossed the company’s merchandise ecosystem, giving Google a beardown inducement to enactment successful the marketplace and fig retired compliance pinch immoderate laws later. Apple, meanwhile, unveiled its caller Siri AI very precocious and chose to withhold it from the EU, contempt having had years to expect the DMA’s requirements during the product’s design.

Apple besides chose to move Siri AI’s absence into a governmental weapon, evidently hoping the tribunal of nationalist sentiment would find successful its favour and unit Brussels to relax interoperability requirements. It did truthful publically and repeatedly, taking the different measurement of dedicating portion of its WWDC 2026 keynote to explaining why Siri AI won’t beryllium coming to Europe, publishing a pointed blog post titled “Due to DMA, Siri AI delayed successful EU for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27,” and holding media briefings connected the issue. It relayed news that China was missing retired connected Siri AI done a one-sentence footnote. All of this served to formed Brussels, not Apple’s merchandise choices, arsenic the logic for the delay.

It’s besides imaginable that the divided is little important down the scenes than it appears successful public. Google and Apple some vehemently reason the DMA’s interoperability demands, framing them arsenic threats to privacy, security, and merchandise integrity. The 2 companies person besides worked together connected integrating Gemini into Apple’s AI products, including Siri AI, making it plausible that they person remained successful interaction while exploring different ways to conflict the aforesaid group of restrictions.

For now, though, the quality is stark. Google has a twelvemonth to bring Android into compliance while continuing to grow Gemini. Brussels denied Apple this benignant of runway, and who knows erstwhile Siri AI will scope the EU.