Google is now facing the largest fine ever imposed under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as the European Commission announced a total penalty of €890 million for breaching competition rules. The decision targets practices in both Google Search and Google Play, and is expected to trigger a new wave of tension between Brussels and Washington, given that the Donald Trump administration has repeatedly criticized EU legislation targeting major tech companies. This marks the largest financial penalty the European Union has ever issued under the DMA — the landmark regulation designed to curb the abuse of market dominance by Big Tech.
Google hit with two separate fines over Search and Play Store
The European Commission issued two distinct penalties against the American tech giant.
The first fine amounts to €460 million, with Brussels ruling that Google gave preferential treatment to its own price comparison services — covering hotels, flights, and other offerings — within Google Search results, thereby restricting fair competition.
The second fine, totaling €430 million, targets Google Play. According to the Commission, Google employed so-called antisteering practices, preventing app developers from directing users toward alternative app stores or other purchasing channels — a practice explicitly prohibited under the DMA.
The responsible Commissioner, Henna Virkkunen, described the ruling as highly significant, emphasizing that its goal is to ensure a level playing field for all businesses operating within the European digital market.
Google has been given 60 days to comply with the decision. Failure to do so could result in additional financial penalties.
Google’s response and the political fallout
Google pushed back strongly against the ruling, arguing that the required changes would negatively impact the quality of services it provides to European users.
The company’s President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, stated that complying with the European Commission’s demands would mean eliminating features used daily by millions of people — such as the direct display of hotel prices, flight availability, and restaurant information directly within search results.
He also argued that the changes demanded for Google Play could weaken the platform’s security mechanisms.
“This isn’t about leveling the playing field — it’s about degrading our products at the behest of a small group acting out of self-interest, at the expense of European businesses and European consumers,” Walker said, adding that regulatory frameworks should “improve products, not make them worse.”
The case carries significant political weight, as Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the EU’s Digital Markets Act, claiming it disproportionately targets American technology companies. A group of 25 Republican lawmakers has already called on the US president to consider retaliatory measures should the European Union continue applying policies they view as discriminatory toward American digital giants.
This latest ruling adds to a growing list of penalties imposed on Google across Europe in recent years. The European Commission had previously ordered the company to open its Android operating system to competing AI services and to share certain Google Search data with rivals. Last September, it also handed Google a €2.95 billion fine for abusing its dominant position in the online advertising market. A separate, ongoing investigation is also examining how news media outlets are displayed within Google Search results.
