EU Forces Google to Open Android Microphone, Camera and Screen Access for Rival AI Assistants
The European Union has directed Google to grant competing AI assistants equivalent access to sensitive Android resources, including the microphone, camera, and screen content. The decision aims to ensure that third-party services receive the same capabilities currently available to Gemini.
The measures encompass eleven core system functions such as voice-command activation, home-button invocation, background execution, and direct access to on-device AI models. Alternative assistants will be able to use these resources without being set as the default service.
Environmental data access will provide real-time streams from the microphone, camera, screen, and speakers. All releases must follow the same consent and notification standards that apply to Google’s own services.
AI tools will also be permitted to interact with other applications, send messages, schedule appointments, adjust device settings, and execute multi-step tasks. Screen automation will enable assistants to open applications inside a virtual window and simulate taps and typing while the user continues other activities.
The majority of these changes are required to ship in Android 18 by 1 August 2027. Simultaneous activation of multiple assistants via voice keywords will be implemented in Android 19, with a final deadline of 1 August 2028.
Every function will remain subject to explicit user authorization. For particularly sensitive operations such as screen automation, system integration, and centralized app-data queries, Google may impose objective security and certification requirements.
Related articles
VK Files Lawsuit in EU Court Seeking to Overturn Sanctions Imposed in July
Russian internet company VK has submitted a formal challenge to the European Union's sanctions regime by filing a case with the Court of Justice of the European Union. The company argues that the restrictions placed on VK and its subsidiary Communication Platform LLC are both unjustified and unlawful. The lawsuit, registered under case number T-664/26 on 7 October, directly contests the July sanctions that targeted the developer of the MAX messenger. Earlier restrictions had already led to the removal of multiple VK ecosystem applications from Apple App Store and Google Play, forcing users toward alternative distribution channels such as RuStore, Huawei AppGallery, Samsung Galaxy Store and Xiaomi GetApps. While installed Android applications continue to function and receive updates, iOS users face disrupted push notifications after the apps were delisted. The legal action itself does not automatically restore app availability in the affected stores.
VPN Rules in Russia 2026: No Fine for Ordinary Users but Strict Penalties for Advertising and Extremist Content Access
As of September 2026, Russia maintains no separate administrative fine for ordinary citizens simply connecting to a VPN service. Responsibility arises only for specific actions such as deliberately searching for known extremist materials, advertising tools to bypass restrictions, or failing to comply with Roskomnadzor demands as a service operator. Corporate VPNs used for remote access to company networks remain fully legal under exceptions in Article 15.8 of Law No. 149-FZ. New provisions in the Code of Administrative Offenses, including Articles 13.53, 13.52 and 14.3 introduced by Laws 281-FZ and 282-FZ, impose fines ranging from 3,000 to 500,000 rubles depending on the violation and the offender category. The rules distinguish clearly between end users, service owners and advertisers. VPN technology itself is not banned, yet public services face ongoing blocking and operators must integrate with state filtering systems. The material reflects the regulatory situation on 24 September 2026.
Troubleshooting Erroneous TSPU Blocks: How Admins Can Collaborate with Russian Regulators
A Moneta client outage traced back to erroneous filtering on Russia's TSPU system rather than internal infrastructure or DDoS protection. Engineers used curl, traceroute, nping, and custom Python scripts to confirm TCP payload-based blocking after the handshake. The team submitted a request via the VTS personal account, received partial acceptance status, then escalated to DCOA and SSOP to obtain the specific TSPU site number. Detailed network traces and active traffic were required for diagnostics. The case highlights coordination challenges between operators, DCOA, and SSOP when erroneous blocks occur on information resources.
Security Vision Unveils Self-Assessment Portal for Unified Information Security Evaluation Across Corporate Holdings
Security Vision has launched a new Self-Assessment portal designed to consolidate information security self-evaluations for entire corporate groups and holdings. The platform addresses common challenges where subsidiaries maintain inconsistent compliance records, with some requirements fulfilled while others remain unresolved for years in scattered emails and spreadsheets. Security Vision SA covers the complete workflow from defining requirements and distributing questionnaires to calculating results and tracking remediation actions. Parent organizations gain a consolidated view of subsidiary compliance status along with detailed breakdowns by individual systems. The system supports requirement templates, version control, scheduled assessments, automated metric-based answers, and conversion of gaps into actionable plans with assigned owners and deadlines. Additional features include internal policy document management and interactive dashboards for analysis. The first public demonstration is scheduled for the SOC Forum on October 27-28.