The European Commission has imposed two fines on Google totaling €890 million after finding that the company failed to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The first fine, amounting to €460 million, concerns preferential treatment given to Google’s own services in Google Search. The second fine, worth €430 million, relates to restrictions imposed on app developers regarding their ability to direct users to alternative purchasing channels.
According to the European Commission, the Digital Markets Act prohibits gatekeepers from favoring their own services in search rankings over services provided by third parties. It also requires transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions.
In the case of Google Search, the Commission found that Google gives preferential treatment to its own services, including results related to shopping, hotels, transport and sports. The Commission said Google’s services are displayed more prominently in search results, including at the top of the page and through visual elements and filters, while similar third-party services do not receive the same visibility.
The second decision concerns rules applied to developers distributing apps through Google Play. Under the DMA, developers must be able to inform users free of charge about offers available through other channels and direct them to those channels to complete purchases, including their own websites or other app stores.
The Commission found that Google prevents developers from freely communicating and promoting such offers and from entering into contracts with users through distribution channels of their choice, including third-party app stores.
It also concluded that the level of fees charged by Google in connection with this redirection, as well as the duration of the charging period, exceeded the limits considered compliant with the Digital Markets Act.
Through the two decisions, the Commission ordered Google to end the practices considered non-compliant. Google must treat third-party services displayed in Google Search fairly and without discrimination compared with its own services.
The company must also allow developers distributing applications through Google Play to communicate and promote offers and enter into contracts with users both inside and outside the Google Play store.
According to the Commission, Google has proposed and started testing changes to the way its own services are displayed in Google Search for areas including shopping, hotels and flights. The Commission is also assessing proposed changes related to shopping advertisements and content-related services, including sports.
The Commission said discussions with Google will continue regarding how the company intends to apply the principles of the decision to AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google has also introduced changes to its terms concerning the redirection of users, which will be assessed against the Commission’s decision.
Google has 60 days to comply with the two decisions. Failure to do so could result in periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of its total worldwide turnover.
Google was designated as a gatekeeper in September 2023 for Google Search. The European Commission opened investigations on March 25, 2024, into measures adopted by the company to prevent self-preferencing and into rules concerning the redirection of users.
On March 19, 2025, the Commission informed Google of its preliminary view that the company may have breached the Digital Markets Act.
According to the Commission, Google exercised its rights of defence by examining documents in the two investigation files and submitting written responses to the preliminary findings.
In setting the fines, the Commission said it took into account the seriousness, duration and recurrence of the infringements. Google may challenge both decisions.
(Content with AI)