The EU has imposed a total fine of €890m (£760m) on Google for violating online competition regulations through its search and app store services.
The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, stated that Google violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by favoring its own services, like shopping and hotel offers, in search results instead of those of competitors.
It further violated the DMA by restricting app developers from directing consumers to more affordable options, including subscriptions, on websites or other app stores.
Google has been penalized €460m for the search-related infringement and €430m for the app store offense. The commission has directed the company to handle third-party services shown in its search results in a "fair and non-biased manner" and permit app developers to propose offers outside of Google’s app store.
It mentioned that Google had begun experimenting with modifications to how it presented search results that included its own services. It stated that these changes signify “significant advancement towards adherence.”
A senior official stated that the decision by the EU would directly benefit consumers. “Research findings will vary across Europe.” "They will need to modify their search engine in the future," they stated.
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Max von Thun, head of the Open Markets Institute Europe thinktank, stated that the penalties were the "absolute minimum" for a firm that earned slightly more than $400bn last year.
"With Google’s non-compliance now established, the commission must act swiftly to compel Google to terminate its anti-competitive practices permanently. Europe's startups and innovators can’t afford to wait much longer," he stated.
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The choice to enforce the penalty could provoke Donald Trump's anger, just hours before a set of temporary global tariffs on approximately 60 nations ends.
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An official from the EU stated they were unaware of Trump's potential response, emphasizing that the bloc possessed the “sovereign right” to oversee US tech firms within its jurisdiction and that the timing of the penalty was unrelated to tariffs.