European Commission Fines Google €890 Million for Breaching Digital Markets Act

The European Commission on Thursday fined US technology company Google €890 million (approximately Rp18.2 trillion) for breaching the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Commission accused the company of promoting its own services in search results and restricting app developers on Google Play. The statement said the Commission took two decisions finding Google non-compliant with the Digital Markets Act for prioritising its own services in Google Search. The other reason was for imposing restrictions on businesses to direct consumers to alternative, often cheaper, purchase channels in Google Play apps. “The Commission fined Google €460 million and €430 million respectively,” the statement said. The Commission added that Google has been ordered to end the infringements within 60 days. If it fails to do so, the technology company risks facing periodic penalty payments of up to 5 percent of its total global revenue. The company also has the right to appeal the decisions, the statement clarified. In March 2024, the European Commission opened an investigation into Google after the DMA, which regulates the activities of the largest digital platforms, came into force.