EU Tells Google to Open Android Wake-Word and Core Features to Rival Assistants by July 2027

The European Commission has ordered Google to give rival AI assistants equal access to core Android features, including wake-word invocation like "Hey, Google," by July 2027 under the Digital Markets Act. The binding decision follows findings that third-party assistants get only limited access compared to Google's own Gemini assistant, constraining their ability to innovate.