The European Commission announced penalties totaling €890m against Google for violations of the Digital Markets Act, with €460m related to search service practices and €430m concerning app store operations.
According to the Commission, Google unlawfully prioritized its own services—including shopping comparisons and hotel booking platforms—over competing offerings in search results. Additionally, the company prevented app developers from directing consumers toward alternative purchasing options and subscription deals available outside Google’s app store ecosystem. The Commission has required Google to apply fair and non-discriminatory treatment to third-party services in search results and to permit app developers to promote alternative platforms and pricing arrangements.
The Commission noted that Google had already begun implementing modifications to its search result display methodology, characterizing these adjustments as meaningful movement toward compliance with regulatory requirements. Officials indicated that European consumers would experience substantive changes to search functionality, with results adjusted to reflect the new standards going forward.
Observers noted the significance of the enforcement action relative to Google’s financial scale. Analysis suggested that while the penalties represent progress in enforcement of competition rules, they may be modest compared to the company’s revenue figures. The decision follows similar enforcement actions against other major technology companies, with Apple and Meta each receiving penalties in recent years for comparable violations of the Digital Markets Act.
Google’s leadership contested the decision, characterizing it as damaging to product quality and consumer experience. The company indicated it would pursue available legal remedies, including appeals and requests for interim suspension of the imposed measures.
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