The European Union has fined Google €890 million ($1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), marking the first penalties against the tech giant under the landmark regulation and adding to trans-Atlantic trade tensions.
The European Commission imposed two separate fines: €460 million for Google favoring its own services in shopping, hotels, transport, and sports results in search, and €430 million for restrictions on Google Play that prevented app developers from steering users to cheaper offers on rival platforms.
'Our duty and obligation is to comply with the laws, that our laws are fully respected,' said EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, responding to questions about potential U.S. pushback. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen added: 'The DMA is to make sure we have a fair and level playing field.'
The fines — the fifth and sixth against Google for anti-competitive practices, bringing total penalties to €10.38 billion over nearly two decades — come at a particularly tense moment for U.S.-EU relations. The Trump administration has threatened retaliatory tariffs over what it views as European targeting of American companies.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the fine and other EU actions 'are driving massive uncertainty for U.S. exports of goods and services to Europe,' though he did not announce specific retaliatory measures.
Google criticized the findings and said it may take the Commission to court. 'To comply, we are having to strip away real-time Search features Europeans love — like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants — and dismantle safety protections on Google Play,' said Kent Walker, Google President of Global Affairs.
However, the Commission noted 'constructive dialogue' with Google and significant progress toward compliance, indicating that daily penalty payments are likely off the table. Google has begun testing changes to how it presents its own services in search results.
The fines are the third under the DMA after penalties against Apple and Meta Platforms in April 2025.
