London —
The European Union has fined Google €890 million ($1 billion) for breaching rules designed to promote competition in digital services, the first time the company has been penalized under the bloc’s landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The fines highlight Europe’s resolve to rein in the power of Big Tech, despite US President Donald Trump threatening to respond with “substantial additional tariffs” on European goods.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said Thursday that Google had failed to comply with the DMA by promoting its own services, including for hotels, shopping and transport, on Google Search over those of competitors and by restricting the way app developers sell services to customers.
“We found that Google harms businesses offering similar services, such as shopping or sports, by not granting them the same level of prominence on Google Search,” Henna Virkkunen, the European commisioner in charge of tech sovereignty said in a statement.
