The European Commission has imposed a total fine of €890 million on Google, ruling that the company breached competition rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) through both its search engine and its app store.
According to the Commission’s decision, Google gave preferential treatment to its own services—including shopping, hotel, and other travel offerings—over competing services in search results. The company was fined €460 million for this infringement.
Google was also fined an additional €430 million after the Commission found that its app store prevented app developers from directing users to cheaper offers available on websites or through alternative app stores.
The European Commission has ordered Google to treat third-party services displayed in search results fairly and without discrimination, while also requiring the company to allow app developers to promote offers outside Google’s own ecosystem.
The Commission noted that Google has already begun testing changes to the way it displays search results for services such as shopping and flights, describing these efforts as “substantial progress” toward complying with EU requirements.
A European Commission official said consumers are expected to be the main beneficiaries of the decision, as search results in Europe should become more diverse and Google will be required to adjust the way its search engine operates.
The fine is expected to generate fresh tensions between Brussels and Washington, as it was announced just hours before the deadline for the implementation of temporary U.S. tariffs on around 60 countries. However, a senior EU official stressed that the decision is unrelated to the tariff dispute, adding that the European Union has the sovereign right to regulate the activities of U.S. technology companies operating within the bloc.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions