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POLITIKOFF

European Union fines Google $1 billion

Politiko 2026-07-23 14:11:18

European Union fines Google $1 billion

The European Union has fined Google 890 million euros (about $1 billion) after finding that the tech giant violated competition rules under the Digital Markets Act, A2 CNN reports. This is the first time Google has been penalized under the new European legislation.

The European Commission announced that Google favored its own services in its Google Search engine, giving priority to the company's platforms, such as those for shopping and transportation, to the detriment of rival services. For this violation, the company was fined 460 million euros.

A second fine, of 430 million euros, is related to the way the Google Play app store operates. According to the European Commission, Google has restricted app developers from informing or offering users cheaper shopping alternatives outside its platform.

The Commission announced that in determining the amount of the fines, the significance of the violations and the duration of the company's non-compliance with the rules were taken into account.

"We found that Google harms businesses that offer similar services, such as shopping or sports, by not giving them the same level of visibility in Google Search," said Henna Virkkunen, the European commissioner responsible for technological sovereignty.

She also added that Google has prevented app developers from offering lower prices to consumers outside of Google Play.

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