EU hits Google with €890 million DMA fine over search and app store practices

The European Union fined Google 890 million euros after concluding the company used its search engine and Google Play to direct consumers toward its own services and apps at the expense of rivals, marking a major enforcement action under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. The existing sanctions cover 460 million euros tied to Search and 430 million euros tied to Google Play anti-steering rules, with Brussels saying Google gave preferential treatment to its own vertical services and restricted app developers from guiding users to cheaper offers outside the Play Store. European Commission Executive Vice President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera said consumers should benefit from the best products rather than those owned by the company running the search engine, while spokesperson Thomas Regnier said gatekeepers must ensure a level playing field. Google rejected the decision, with President of Global Affairs Kent Walker calling it harmful to European businesses and consumers and arguing the DMA forces the company to remove real-time search features and weaken Google Play safety protections. The fine adds to the EU’s long-running antitrust pressure on Google and comes after the company recently lost its appeal over a separate $4.5 billion Android antitrust penalty. The case also lands amid wider tensions between Brussels and President Donald Trump, who has previously threatened retaliation when U.S. technology companies are punished by European regulators. Alphabet reported $403 billion in revenue in 2025.