Google fined €890m by EU for favouring own apps
The European Union has fined Google €890 million for abusing its dominant position by favouring its own apps and services over rivals. The penalty is the first major action under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Google has been fined €890 million (£759 million) by the European Commission for allegedly favouring its own apps and services over those of competitors, violating the EU's new Digital Markets Act (DMA). This landmark legislation aims to curb the power of big tech companies and ensure fairer competition.
The fine comprises two penalties: €460 million for unfairly favouring Google's own services in search results related to flight and hotel bookings, and €430 million for imposing rules on its Play Store that prevented users from being shown cheaper third-party offers. The Commission argued these practices limited consumer choice and gave Google an unfair advantage.
Google criticized the EU's decision, stating that compliance would force the company to remove popular features. "To comply, we are having to strip away real-time Search features Europeans love – like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights and restaurants – and dismantle safety protections on Google Play," said Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs.
EU officials rejected Google's criticism, emphasizing that the regulations are necessary to prevent dominant platforms from disadvantaging rivals. Google has 60 days to comply with the decision or challenge it in court. The tech giant has a history of disputes with European regulators, having previously faced significant fines for competition violations.