BRUSSELS: The European Commission has imposed an €890 million (around $1 billion) fine on Google, accusing the technology giant of abusing its dominant position in the online search market and violating the European Union’s digital competition rules.
In a statement, the Commission said Google used its market dominance to give preferential treatment to its own services while limiting opportunities for competing platforms. According to EU regulators, the company consistently ranked its shopping, travel, gaming and other online services more prominently in search results, while pushing rival services lower in rankings.
The Commission said such practices distorted fair competition and reduced consumer choice by giving Google’s products an unfair advantage over competitors.
European officials also alleged that Google restricted app developers from informing users on the Google Play Store about alternative payment methods outside the platform. Regulators argued that this practice helped Google protect its commission fees and violated the bloc’s digital competition framework.
The Commission said the company’s conduct breached the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires major technology companies designated as “gatekeepers” to treat their own products and services fairly and refrain from engaging in anti-competitive practices.
Under the ruling, Google has been given 60 days to comply with the Commission’s decision. Failure to implement the required changes within the specified timeframe could result in additional financial penalties.
Responding to the decision, Google said the Commission’s action would ultimately harm European consumers. The company argued that the ruling could reduce the quality of its services and limit users’ access to products they find useful.
The latest penalty adds to a series of regulatory actions taken by the European Union against major technology companies as Brussels continues to enforce stricter rules aimed at promoting fair competition and curbing the market power of dominant digital platforms.
