EU fines Google 890 million euros, the heaviest penalty yet under the Digital Markets Act

The European Commission on Thursday, 23 July 2026 (1 Mordad 1405), imposed two separate penalties on Google totalling 890 million euros (about $1 billion), the heaviest fines yet issued under the EU's Digital Markets Act. The first, of 460 million euros, was for illegally promoting Google's own products, including Google Flights and Google Hotels, over rival services in search results. The second, of 430 million euros, followed a finding that Google had prevented app developers from informing consumers, free of charge, about purchasing options available outside the Google Play store.

Teresa Ribera, the EU's competition chief, said: "The best products should succeed because they're better, not because they're owned by the company running the search engine." The Digital Markets Act, enforceable since 2024, designates the largest technology platforms as "gatekeepers" and allows the Commission to impose penalties of up to 10% of a company's global turnover. An EU official said this week's penalties amount to just 0.22% of Google's turnover.

This is Google's first penalty under the law and exceeds the earlier fines on Apple (500 million euros) and Meta (200 million euros) in 2025. The Commission warned that the fines could grow further if Google fails to bring its practices into compliance within 60 days. The case stems from a non-compliance investigation opened in March 2024.