A dispute between Google and European regulators exposes a core design problem for agentic computing: how much system access should a user-installed assistant receive?
Interoperability versus authority
Useful agents need access to context and actions across apps. Deep access also expands the damage possible from prompt injection, compromised providers, confused delegation, or excessive permissions. Google argues that proposed interoperability requirements under the Digital Markets Act do not sufficiently account for these threats.
The broader lesson
The durable solution is not choosing openness or security as an absolute. Platforms need granular capabilities, explicit delegation, per-action authorization, visible audit trails, fast revocation, and isolation between providers. The debate is consequential because agent permissions may become as foundational as mobile app permissions.