European Union Fines Google Nearly €900 Million

The European Commission has fined Google 890 million euros, approximately 1 billion dollars, for violations of the Digital Markets Act. According to the EU's assessment, the company was placing its own services in a preferential position compared to competitors and was preventing app developers from offering cheaper alternatives to users.

460 million euros of the fine is related to Google Search, where the company was promoting its own services ahead of competitors. This concerns shopping, hotels, transportation, and sports results searches. The remaining 430 million euros concerns Google Play's rules, which prevented developers from directing users to alternative app stores and websites.

These are the first fines imposed on Google under the EU's Digital Markets Act. Over the past nearly 20 years, fines imposed on the company for anticompetitive practices have totaled 10.38 billion euros.

Google has 60 days to comply with the European Commission's requirements. The company must ensure that competitors' services appear under equal conditions in its search system, and developers must have the freedom to direct users to offers outside of Google Play.

Google disagrees with the EU's decision and has not ruled out appealing to court. According to the company's statement, complying with the new requirements will result in the removal of certain search system functions for European users and a weakening of Google Play's security mechanisms.

According to the agency's statement, negotiations with Google are ongoing and the company has already begun implementing changes to comply with the rules.

Source: Investing.com