BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union handed Google a fine of 890 million euros — roughly $1 billion — on Thursday, accusing the tech giant of breaking digital antitrust rules by using its Play app store and dominant search engine to funnel consumers toward its own products and services, at a disadvantage to competing companies.
The action represents the latest in a series of major enforcement moves by Brussels against the world’s largest technology companies, with the EU having positioned itself as a global leader in holding Big Tech accountable — from Silicon Valley to Beijing.
This comes after Google recently lost an appeal against a separate $4.5 billion antitrust penalty the EU had previously imposed, stemming from allegations that Google used the dominance of its Android mobile operating system to stifle competition and limit choices for consumers.
The European Commission, which serves as the EU’s executive body and top antitrust authority, said the investigation and resulting fine were carried out on behalf of consumers.
Teresa Ribera, the commission’s Executive Vice President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, made clear where regulators stand: “The best products should succeed because they’re better, not because they’re owned by the company running the search engine. And European consumers have a right to be told by app developers where to sign up to the best offers, even when the app store owner does not get a cut.”
Google’s President of Global Affairs Kent Walker sharply criticized the ruling, calling it “product degradation driven by a small group of self-serving complainants” and warning it would hurt both European businesses and everyday consumers.
Walker argued that the EU’s Digital Markets Act is forcing Google “to strip away real-time search features Europeans love — like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants — and dismantle safety protections on Google Play.”
The EU has continued tightening its grip on major U.S. and Chinese technology companies, even as that approach risks a confrontation with President Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized the 27-nation bloc’s tech regulations and threatened retaliation against penalties imposed on American companies.
The EU classifies seven major tech companies — Amazon, Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok owner ByteDance — as “gatekeepers” that control how consumers access digital services.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier summarized the EU’s position: “In the EU, businesses have the right to compete fairly. Gatekeepers have the obligation to ensure a level playing field and consumers the right to choose for cheaper alternative offers.”
