Europe Challenges Google: Demands AI Uninstallation on Android

Europe Challenges Google: Uninstallation of AI on Android Required

The Free Software Foundation Europe has submitted a formal contribution to the European Commission demanding that Google allow the permanent uninstallation of preloaded AI components on Android. The organization cites the Digital Markets Act. It also calls for third-party developers to access Android's interoperability features without prior registration or agreement with Google.

The FSFE, a non-profit organization founded in 2001 to advocate for the rights of free software users in Europe, filed this document on June 15 as part of a public consultation initiated by the Commission regarding Android's interoperability obligations under Article 6(7) of the DMA.

The organization first requests that any user be able to permanently uninstall preloaded AI components on Android and reclaim the freed-up space, without Google being able to redownload them without explicit consent. It further wishes for third-party developers to access the interoperability features of the Android Open Source Project without a Google account, without being present on the Play Store, and without a contractual agreement with the company.

Security researchers have established that Google Chrome automatically downloads a 4 GB AI model, Gemini Nano, onto desktop computers without warning or explicit consent. Upon restarting the browser, Chrome would redownload the file, regardless of the deletion method used. The FSFE had previously approached the Commission in July 2025, along with other civil society organizations, to denounce the impossibility of uninstalling certain Android applications. The same issue now applies to AI models, invoking the same article of the DMA.

Google Wants to Impose Identity Verification on All Android Developers

Google opened registrations for Android Developer Verification in March. Since then, any developer distributing an app outside the Play Store can create an account on the new Android Developer console and register their legal identity. This requirement will take effect on September 30 for certified devices in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. From that date, an app not registered with a verified developer will no longer be installable on these devices. Google has announced a global rollout for 2027 and has excluded the European Union from all announced waves.

Lucas Lasota, head of the legal program at the FSFE, stated that “interoperability must be decoupled from developer verification procedures” and that “clear, precise, and inclusive rules” are necessary to prevent circumvention by access controllers.

However, the FSFE argues that developers based in authoritarian regimes risk surveillance and retaliation by entrusting their legal identity to a private company subject to government requisitions. Google has previously removed applications at the request of government authorities. The FSFE also warns about the indirect economic cost for alternative developers: the Google developer agreement subjects signatories to restrictive conditions on app distribution and preinstalled services, regardless of any payment.

The European Commission Must Allow Developers to Access Android Functions Without Going Through Google

The Commission has drafted provisional measures stating that third-party developers must access Android's interoperability features for free. However, the Commission has failed to prohibit Google from requiring a prior account or contractual agreement. The FSFE requests that the Commission address this gap in the final text.

The FSFE is not the only one applying pressure. More than 71 organizations from 23 countries have sent an open letter to Google asking it to abandon the Android Developer Verification program. The DMA has already produced a comparable outcome: under this regulation, Apple had to open iOS to sideloading in the Twenty-Seven. The Commission has until July 27 to rule on Google's compliance and can impose a fine of 10% of its global revenue.