EU Fines Google €890 Million for Violating Digital Markets Act
The EU has imposed a fine of €890 million on Google for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by promoting its own services in Google Search and the Google Play Store while restricting user access to other services.
The fine is divided into approximately €460 million for search self-preference and about €430 million for Play Store restrictions, marking the first significant penalty under the DMA.
This penalty is driven by regulatory enforcement events, with funds directed towards compliance adjustments and competitive services, putting pressure on Google while benefiting local and third-party services in Europe.
Source: Public Information
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As a gatekeeper designated by the DMA, Google has previously been investigated for its behavior in search and the app store. This fine is the first significant monetary penalty following the implementation of the EU's Digital Markets Act, requiring Google to cease violations within 60 days or face higher daily fines.
The capital pathway reflects the EU's strategy of using hefty fines to compel platforms to open up their own services' preferential positions, motivated by a desire to restore fair competition and reduce consumer switching costs.
Compared to previous DMA investigations into Apple and Meta, Google is the first to face substantial penalties.
This represents a fundamental regulatory shift, with the mechanism of the DMA replacing traditional ex-post antitrust measures, subjecting self-preferencing behaviors of large platforms to direct quantifiable penalties.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
- The first fine often sets the tone for enforcement.
- Self-preferencing is the original sin of gatekeepers.
- Opening access is more important than the fine itself.