The European Commission has taken action against Google with a €890 million fine for breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA). It is the second major penalty the US company has received in just one week, according to hipertextual.com. The violations detected affect two key pillars of Google's technology empire: its search engine and its app store. The decision stems from an investigation launched in 2024 that concluded the Mountain View giant has acted discriminatorily against its competitors.

Search engine advantage: €460 million

One violation relates to how Google positions its own services in search results. European regulators have found that the company grants greater visibility to its own products such as Google Shopping and Google Flights over similar services offered by third parties. This practice, which may seem natural for a search engine controlled by Alphabet, violates the DMA because it distorts market competition.

Imagine searching for cheap flights and Google shows you Google Flights first, regardless of whether another online travel agency offers better prices. That is exactly what Brussels considers unfair. For this breach, Google must pay €460 million.

Play Store: blocking cheaper alternatives for €430 million

The second violation concerns the app store. According to the European Commission, Google prevents app developers from informing users about cheaper alternatives available outside the Play Store. This means a software developer cannot tell users: "You can download this app from another store at a lower price."

• Developers cannot freely communicate their offers.
• They cannot redirect users to alternative stores.
• Google maintains a monopoly situation in app distribution on Android.

For restricting this freedom of competition, the European Commission has set a penalty of €430 million.

Payment deadline and additional penalties

Google has 60 days to pay the full €890 million. If it fails to meet this deadline, the company faces additional daily penalties equivalent to up to 5% of its annual global turnover. This represents substantial coercive pressure: for a company with around $280 billion in annual revenue, that 5% would amount to nearly $14 billion in daily fines.

So far, Google has not made a public statement about this new penalty.

Ongoing battle against the tech giant

This fine is the second major sanction in seven days. The previous week, the EU already forced Google to open its search engine and Android to competition, also under the DMA. While notable, it is not the largest fine Google has received in Europe: in 2018, it was imposed over €4.3 billion for abuse of dominant position in Android. In September 2025, it received another penalty of €2.95 billion for digital advertising practices.

The pattern is clear: Brussels is determined to strictly enforce the Digital Markets Act, a regulation designed to level the playing field between tech giants and their competitors. The question that remains is whether these fines are sufficiently deterrent or if Google will continue walking the tightrope of regulatory compliance.