EU fines Google €890M for Digital Markets Act violations

The European Commission on Thursday fined Alphabet's ↘ 1.24% Google a total of €890 million for two violations of the Digital Markets Act, marking the largest penalty yet imposed under the bloc's landmark tech competition law.

Two Violations, Two Fines

The Commission issued a €460 million fine for giving preferential treatment to Google's own services — including shopping, hotels, transport, and sports results — over those of third parties in Google Search, and a separate €430 million fine for restricting app developers from directing consumers to alternative purchase channels outside Google Play.European Union+2

On the self-preferencing charge, the Commission found that Google displays its own services "more prominently in search results, including at the top of the search results page or by using enhanced visuals and filters, while similar third-party services do not have the same prominence." On the steering violation, regulators determined that Google's fees and the duration of charging periods for developers who pointed users elsewhere "went beyond what is considered compliant with the DMA."European Union

Google has 60 days to bring the non-compliance to an end or face daily penalty payments of up to five percent of its total worldwide turnover.The Sofia Globe

A Broader Enforcement Push

The fines arrive amid an intensifying EU enforcement campaign against Google. Earlier this month, the European Court of Justice upheld a separate €4.1 billion antitrust penalty over Android anti-competitive practices, ending eight years of litigation. A binding data-sharing order — requiring Google to give rival search engines, including AI chatbots, access to anonymized ranking, query, and click data — is due by July 27.CNBC+3

The DMA cases also touch on artificial intelligence. The Commission opened proceedings in January to ensure Google provides rival AI services, such as competing chatbots, the same Android system-level access currently reserved for its Gemini assistant. Reporting ahead of Thursday's decision indicated the Commission expects Google to apply the principles of the self-preferencing ruling to its AI Overviews and AI Mode features.Model Diplomat+2

Transatlantic Tensions

The penalty lands against a backdrop of mounting friction between Brussels and Washington over the EU's treatment of American tech firms. The Trump administration has pushed back as cumulative EU fines on Google, Apple ↘ 0.56%, and Meta ↘ 2.58% have exceeded €6 billion since the start of 2024, with threats of tariff retaliation. Reports earlier this year suggested the Commission delayed the announcement partly to avoid escalating trade tensions.cnbc+1