EU Fines Google €890 Million Under Digital Markets Act
On Thursday, the European Union imposed a record fine of €890 million (US$1 billion) on Google for breaching the Digital Markets Act, the highest penalty ever levied against a single entity under this law. This fine comprises two parts: €460 million for unlawfully prioritizing its own services, including Google Flights and Google Hotels, in search results, and €430 million for obstructing app developers from promoting external offers outside the Google Play store. Henna Virkkunen, the EU's tech chief, emphasized the aim of enhancing competition and innovation. A senior EU official pointed out that Google continues to favor its services, while the second fine pertains to the timeframe from March 2024 to December 2025. Previously, from 2017 to 2019, Google faced fines totaling €8.2 billion.
Key facts
- EU fines Google €890 million (US$1 billion) under Digital Markets Act
- First fine: €460 million for favoring own services in search results
- Second fine: €430 million for restricting app developer offers outside Google Play
- Fines are the largest total against one company under the Digital Markets Act
- EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized competition and innovation
- Senior EU official said Google still favors its own services
- Second fine covers March 2024 to December 2025
- Between 2017 and 2019, EU fined Google €8.2 billion
Entities
Institutions
- European Union
- European Commission
Locations
- Brussels
- Belgium