The European Union has imposed two fines on Google totaling 890 million euros (approximately $1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in both Google Search and the Google Play Store. The fines were announced on July 23, 2026, following a two-year investigation into the tech giant's anti-competitive practices.
First Fine of €460 Million for Preferential Treatment in Search Results
The first fine, worth €460 million, stems from an investigation that began two years ago and led to a preliminary ruling in March 2025. The EU accused Google of violating the DMA by giving its own services preferential treatment in search results. Google's products, such as shopping, hotels, transport, and sports results, appeared more prominently than those of competitors offering the same information. Google proposed a solution, but in May 2026 the EU deemed it unacceptable and granted an extension. Google later described the resulting changes as "the biggest downgrade in the product's history" in an interview with Reuters.
Sponsored Protocol
Second Fine of €430 Million for Play Store Restrictions
The second fine, totaling €430 million, targets restrictions Google imposed on app developers. The EU ruled that Google prevented developers from freely communicating and promoting offers to users outside the Play Store, as well as from concluding contracts through alternative distribution channels. In practice, Google did not allow developers to offer payment methods other than its own system. This behavior was found non-compliant with the DMA, and the EU mandated that Google permit developers with apps on the Play Store to offer additional payment methods and alternative access to competing installation methods.
Sponsored Protocol
Google Cooperating with Commission to Revise Practices
Google has stated it is working with the European Commission to ensure its Search and Play Store features comply with the DMA. As changes are implemented, the EU is assessing their effectiveness and continuing dialogue with the company. This is not the first time the EU has accused Google of "gatekeeping"; recently, the Commission ruled that Google must share search data with other companies and AI chatbots. Those demands are unrelated to the current fines, and Google has until January 2027 to comply. Google also has the option to appeal the €890 million penalty.
Sponsored Protocol
Meanwhile, other tech news highlights how companies face different challenges: for instance, the thinner design of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 hides trade-offs in durability and reliability, while AMD is developing the Ryzen 7 9800HX3D with 96 MB of cache for gaming laptops. To understand the regulatory framework better, you can refer to the Wikipedia page on the Digital Markets Act.
Source: https://9to5google.com/2026/07/23/european-union-fines-google-in-antitrust-for-search-play-store
