EU Slaps Google With €890 Million DMA Fine Over Search, Play Store Practices

The European Commission on Thursday fined Google €890 million for breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA), in one of the bloc's first major enforcement actions under its landmark competition law targeting Big Tech.

The Commission imposed a €460 million fine for Google's self-preferencing practices in Google Search and a €430 million fine for restricting app developers from steering users to alternative, often cheaper, purchasing channels outside Google Play.

Under the DMA, designated "gatekeepers" must not rank their own products and services more favourably than those of rivals and must apply transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions to search rankings.

The Commission found that Google gave preferential treatment to its own services—including shopping, hotels, transport and sports results—by displaying them more prominently through top placements, enhanced visuals and dedicated formats, while comparable third-party services did not receive the same visibility.

Anti-Steering Violations

The Commission also ruled that Google breached the DMA's anti-steering provisions, which require app developers distributing through Google Play to be free to inform users about alternative offers and direct them to other purchasing channels.

According to the Commission, Google prevented developers from freely promoting alternative offers or concluding contracts with users through channels of their choice, including third-party app stores.

While Google may charge a fee for helping developers acquire new customers through Google Play, the Commission said the company's steering-related fees and the duration for which they were levied exceeded what is permitted under the DMA.

The DMA, which came into force in 2024, sets out a list of obligations and prohibitions for six major technology companies designated as gatekeepers, aiming to curb anti-competitive practices and promote fairer digital markets. Thursday's decisions are among the first formal non-compliance rulings under the legislation.

The Commission has ordered Google to end the infringements and warned that the company could face periodic penalty payments if it fails to comply with the orders.