EU fines Google €890 million under DMA for search favoritism and Play Store breaches
EU fines Google €890M under the Digital Markets Act for favoring its services in Search and restricting app developers on Google Play; 60-day deadline to comply.
The European Commission has imposed an €890 million penalty on Google under the Digital Markets Act after finding the company favored its own services in search results and imposed restrictive practices on app developers in Google Play. EU fines Google a record amount in a DMA case, split between two separate violations involving Google Search and the Play Store. The Commission said the measures were intended to enforce transparent, non-discriminatory access for competitors on platform “gatekeepers.”
Record penalty under the Digital Markets Act
The Commission’s sanction totals €890 million, the largest fine issued so far in a DMA proceeding. The penalty comprises roughly €460 million for practices tied to Google Search and €430 million for conduct on Google Play. EU regulators emphasized that the DMA’s penalty framework differs from traditional antitrust fines, which can reach higher percentages of company turnover.
Findings on Google Search ranking and presentation
According to the Commission’s findings, Google Search systematically placed its own shopping, travel and information services ahead of rival offerings. Regulators concluded those services were not treated on an equal basis and were often given more prominent visual placement in results. The decision says such preferential treatment breached DMA rules that require gatekeepers to provide fair, transparent and non-discriminatory treatment for competing services.
Allegations against Google Play and impact on developers
In its second finding, the Commission determined Google imposed disproportionate fees and restrictive conditions on third‑party app developers distributing via Google Play. EU officials said these practices constrained developers’ ability to promote or monetize apps outside Google’s ecosystem and limited their commercial freedom. The Commission concluded that this conduct also violated DMA obligations meant to prevent gatekeepers from disadvantaging rivals.
Required remedies and enforcement timeline
Beyond the financial sanction, Brussels ordered Google to change how it displays search results so that rival services appear on equal terms with Google’s own products. The company must also allow app developers more freedom to advertise and link to offers available off‑platform. Google has 60 days to implement the mandated changes, after which additional fines of up to 5 percent of global daily turnover could be levied for non‑compliance.
Google’s response and likely legal challenge
Google criticized the decision, saying compliance would require removing features that deliver immediate price and availability information and could reduce security protections in the Play Store. The company framed the remedies as harmful to consumers and developers and indicated it would consider legal options. Given Google’s history of appealing EU competition rulings, a court challenge is widely anticipated.
Broader legal and geopolitical context
Regulators have framed the DMA as a faster, platform‑specific tool to curb gatekeeper abuses compared with conventional antitrust law, which can impose fines up to 10 percent of turnover. The Commission has previously used traditional competition law to impose multibillion‑euro penalties on tech companies, but the DMA introduces new obligations and a different enforcement calculus. Observers also note the potential for diplomatic friction, as past EU digital regulatory actions have prompted strong reactions from the United States and raised the prospect of retaliatory measures.
The Commission’s ruling signals a robust application of the Digital Markets Act to large platforms and sets a precedent for how search ranking and app store rules will be enforced in the EU. Stakeholders across the tech industry and in government will be watching the next steps closely as Google decides whether to comply quickly, negotiate implementation details with regulators, or seek relief in court.
