EU fines Google €890m for favoring its services under DMA

Brussels fined Google €890m after determining the company favored its own apps and services over rivals, limiting consumer choice, the European Commission said. The decision, issued under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), cited two separate breaches: preferential treatment in search for flight and hotel bookings and restrictive Play Store rules.

The Commission imposed a €460m penalty for search practices that allegedly promoted Google’s services for booking flights and hotels over competitors. It also levied a €430m fine for Play Store rules that regulators said prevented users from seeing cheaper offers available outside Google’s marketplace.

Google criticised the ruling, saying compliance would force it to remove real-time Search features such as instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights and restaurants and would reduce safety protections on Google Play. Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said the requirements could harm services used by millions of Europeans.

EU officials rejected Google’s claims, arguing the measures are necessary to stop dominant platforms from disadvantaging rivals. The Commission said companies should compete based on product quality rather than market position. Google now has 60 days to comply or challenge the decision in court.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The European Commission applied the Digital Markets Act to find two distinct breaches by Google: preferential placement in search for travel bookings and Play Store rules limiting visibility of external offers. The fines total €890m and the decision requires Google to alter services or face further enforcement, with a 60-day compliance period or the option to litigate.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• EU fined Google €890m under the Digital Markets Act for favoring its own services.
• €460m relates to search results for flight and hotel bookings; €430m concerns Play Store rules.
• Google says compliance will remove real-time Search features and affect Play Store protections; EU officials reject that claim.