Key Takeaways
- Google was fined a total of €890 million ($1 billion) by the European Commission.
- The fines were issued under the Digital Markets Act and targeted Google's favouritism in search results and restrictions on its app store.
- EU regulators praised Google’s progress, suggesting further penalties are unlikely.
Google has been fined a total of €890 million ($1 billion) by the European Commission for violating rules aimed at curbing the power of Big Tech companies. The fine is part of ongoing efforts to ensure fair competition in Europe, according to EU officials.
The commission handed out two separate fines: one of €460 million for favouring its own services in search results related to shopping, hotels, transport and sports, and another of €430 million for restricting app developers from steering users to cheaper offers on rival platforms through Google Play. These penalties are the first under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) but bring the total fines against Google over nearly two decades to €10.38 billion.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stated that the fines underscore Europe's commitment to preventing Big Tech companies from stifling competition and defying US criticism, as well as potential retaliatory tariffs. 'Our duty and obligation is to comply with the laws, so that our laws are fully respected,' she said during a press conference.
Google President of Global Affairs Kent Walker criticized the EU findings, stating that compliance would require stripping away features Europeans value, such as real-time pricing for hotels and flights. He also argued that regulation should improve products rather than degrade them: 'This isn’t fair competition; it’s product degradation driven by a small group of self-serving complainants, with European businesses and consumers taking the hit.'
Despite Google's criticism, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen highlighted significant progress made in compliance efforts. She noted that Google has proposed changes to how its own services are presented on search results for free services like shopping, hotels, and flights. The Commission also acknowledged proposals from Google regarding shopping ads and content-related services.
The European Commission pointed out a 'constructive dialogue' with Google as evidence of progress, indicating that daily penalties for non-compliance are unlikely. 'Google has proposed and started testing changes to how it presents its own services on Google Search for free services such as shopping, hotels and flights,' the commission said. It added that it would assess these changes and continue talks with Google.
While further fines remain a possibility, EU officials expressed optimism about the ongoing dialogue and progress made by Google in complying with the DMA.
Our duty and obligation is to comply with the laws, so that our laws are fully respected
Teresa Ribera, EU antitrust chief
This isn’t fair competition; it’s product degradation driven by a small group of self-serving complainants, with European businesses and consumers taking the hit.
Kent Walker, Google President of Global Affairs
