EU Fines Google Over Digital Competition Breaches
European Union fines Google for digital market violations involving search rankings and app developer restrictions.
The European Union has fined Google more than $1 billion for breaking digital competition rules, marking the first penalty against the company under the bloc’s major technology law.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, announced the action on Thursday, saying Google failed to comply with the Digital Markets Act by favouring its own services over competitors.
The regulator said Google gave greater visibility to its own platforms, including shopping and transport services, on Google Search, while limiting how app developers could offer products and pricing options to customers.
The EU issued two separate penalties, fining Google $524.7 million for search-related violations and $490 million for restrictions involving app developers.
“The fines took into account the gravity and duration of Google’s non-compliance,” the European Commission said.
European Commissioner for tech sovereignty Henna Virkkunen said Google’s actions affected businesses that provide competing services, including shopping and sports platforms, by preventing them from receiving equal treatment on search results.
“We found that Google harms businesses offering similar services, such as shopping or sports, by not granting them the same level of prominence on Google Search.”
She added: “We also found that Google has restricted app developers from offering cheaper offers to customers in the Google Play app store.”
The Google EU fine represents a major enforcement step under the Digital Markets Act, which aims to ensure fair competition among large technology companies operating in Europe.
The regulation targets major digital platforms considered powerful market players and seeks to prevent practices that could limit consumer choice or disadvantage smaller competitors.
The decision adds to growing scrutiny of major technology firms as regulators worldwide increase efforts to address competition concerns in the digital economy.
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