Brussels, 23/07/2026 (Agence Europe) On Thursday 23 July, European Commission imposed two fines on Google totalling €890 million for breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA): €460 million for self-preferencing in Google Search and €430 million for its so-called ‘anti-steering practices, which limited companies’ ability to direct consumers straight to other purchasing channels, often cheaper ones, outside Google Play. Google has 60 days to comply with the DMA.
Under the DMA, gatekeepers such as Google must not give more favourable treatment in rankings to their own services than that given to third-party services. However, according to the Commission’s findings, Google gave preferential treatment to its own services – notably in shopping, hotels, transport and sports results to the detriment of competing services in Google Search, by placing them at the top of search results or highlighting them more through enhanced visual features and filters. Comparable third-party services do not receive the same visibility. Google can either extend to third-party services the level of visibility given to its own services, or reduce the self-preferencing of which it is benefiting, a Commission official explained.
Accordingly, app developers distributing their apps via Google Play must be able to inform their customers free of charge of the existence of alternative offers, often less costly, and direct them to those offers so that they can make their purchases, for example on websites or alternative app stores. «Google allows developers only to redirect users to their own website, but does not allow them to direct them to alternative app stores or third-party apps. That is one of the points of disagreement», a Commission official explained, specifying that «Apple now allows this type of practice».
While Google is entitled to receive remuneration for facilitating an app developer’s initial acquisition of a new customer via Google Play, the Commission considers that the level of fees linked to these steering practices, and the length of time for which those fees are charged, «go beyond what is considered compliant with the DMA». According to a Commission official, Google would also have charged, «to some extent», for the conclusion of contracts between developers and users, whereas this possibility should be offered «free of charge».
The company must now allow developers distributing their apps via the Google Play Store, both technically and contractually, to communicate freely with users, promote their offers and conclude contracts with them, not only within Google Play, but also outside that app store.
The fines imposed on Google are the highest handed down to date under the DMA. They nevertheless represent only 0.22% of its annual global turnover. Their amount takes account of the seriousness and duration of the breaches found. In 2025, the Commission had already fined Meta €200 million and Apple €500 million (see EUROPE 13626/2).
«Our digital legislation is not negotiable. (…) We are continuing to enforce our legislation and we will continue to do so», said Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier, stressing that the Commission had taken its decision as soon as the case «was ready». The Commission opened this procedure in March 2024 (see EUROPE 13378/8) and published its preliminary findings on 19 March 2025.
The spokesperson rejected the accusations that the Commission had delayed its decision concerning Google, even though it had granted the company more time so that it could find a solution deemed acceptable.
The US administration, as well as Google, had been informed in advance by Commission departments of the imminent announcement of this fine. The Commission nevertheless acknowledges the «substantial progress» already made by Google, which has proposed and is currently testing changes concerning the way its own services are presented in Google Search for free services such as shopping, hotels, and flights. The institution also notes the changes proposed in the presentation of commercial advertisements and content-related services, notably sports results, which are currently being assessed.
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