The European Commission fined Google €890 million on Thursday for breaking the Digital Markets Act, the first time Brussels has penalised the company under the rulebook it built to rein in the largest technology platforms
.The penalty divides in two. A €460 million share covers search self-preferencing, where Google gave its own shopping, hotel, transport, and sports results more prominent placement than competing services without applying, in the Commission’s words, “transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions.”
The remaining €430 million concerns anti-steering rules on Google Play, where the company charged fees and set terms that stopped developers from freely directing users to cheaper purchase options outside its store.
“The best products should succeed because they’re better, not because they’re owned by the company running the search engine,” said Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s executive vice-president for competition, as she set out the decision.
The Commission cast both practices as breaches of the gatekeeper obligations the DMA imposes on the handful of platforms it deems systemically important.
