EU fines Google €890M for crushing tech rivals and rigging search results
Regulators in Europe just dropped another colossal hammer on Big Tech, proving once again that running a digital monopoly in Brussels is an extremely expensive hobby.
Antitrust regulators at the European Commission slapped Google with an €890 million fine for systematically violating the Digital Markets Act. The official ruling details how the search giant abused its market position by giving unfair prominence to its own comparison shopping and local services over independent competitors.
A massive chunk of the penalty—€460 million—stems directly from self-preferencing within Google Search results. Another €430 million was levied because Google Play actively blocked app developers from pointing users toward cheaper subscription offers outside the official store ecosystem.
Regulators are forcing Google to treat third-party services on equal footing and permit alternative app distribution without sneaky technical hurdles. The company has already started testing overhauled search layouts in Europe, while Apple and Meta previously faced similar regulatory beatdowns of €500 million and €200 million respectively.
In response, Google global affairs chief Kent Walker complained that complying with European rules forces them to dismantle vital user protections and strip away handy instant search features.
Europe keeps collecting massive corporate fines while tech giants treat the penalties as an irritating tax on doing business in the West.
Source: European Commission
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