The European Commission has fined Google 890 million euros ($1 billion) for violating the European Union’s Digital Markets Law. According to the Commission’s decision published on July 23, 2026, Google favored its own services on Google Search and limited how app developers could direct users to lower-cost purchasing options outside of Google Play.
The fine includes 460 million euros for search self-preferences and 430 million euros for app store management practices. Google must end these violations within 60 days or risk periodic fines of up to 5% of its global revenue.
Google can appeal the decision. The Commission acknowledged that Google is testing changes to both practices and considers these efforts to be substantial progress toward compliance.
Commission details Google’s DMA violations
The Commission determined that Google favors its own services, such as shopping, hotels, transportation and sports scores, over third-party offerings on Google Search. The DMA requires gatekeepers to treat third-party services fairly in search rankings instead of prioritizing their own.
The second breach involves Google Play. The Commission found that Google prevents app developers from freely communicating offers and entering into contracts with users through their preferred distribution channels, including third-party app stores.
This limits developers’ ability to direct users to lower-priced purchasing options outside of Google’s checkout system. He was appointed guardian of Google Search in September 2023 and the Commission opened investigations into non-compliance in March 2024.
“Google has failed to achieve effective compliance with the Digital Markets Law, and today we have taken decisive but balanced measures to sanction these violations,” said Teresa Ribera, executive vice president for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition.
“The best products should be successful because they are better, not because they are owned by the company that runs the search engine. And European consumers have the right to be told by app developers where to sign up for the best deals, even when the app store owner doesn’t take a cut,” Ribera added.
Compliance timeline and penalty risk for Google
The Commission ordered Google to end both violations within 60 days. If you do not comply within that period, you face periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of your average daily turnover worldwide.
The Commission stated that Google has begun testing changes to its search results and has updated its policy terms. While these actions represent substantial progress toward compliance, they were insufficient to avoid being fined for prior DMA violations.
The €890 million fine is the latest in a series of sanctions imposed on Google in Europe over the past year.
In September, the Commission fined Google €2.95 billion ($3.5 billion) for favoring its own advertising technology services by abusing its dominance in the digital advertising technology market.
That same month, the French data protection authority fined the company 325 million euros ($378 million) for placing ads among Gmail users’ emails without consent and for violating cookie regulations.
In early July, Google lost a final appeal against a €4.1 billion ($4.7 billion) antitrust fine for its use of Android to promote Google Search and the Chrome browser.
What the decision means for users and what happens next
For Android app developers in the EU, the decision addresses rules that limit targeting users to external purchasing options. If Google implements compliance changes within 60 days, developers will have more flexibility to communicate alternative offers and payment channels, including links to purchases outside of the Google Play billing system.
Developers and companies affected by classification and addressing practices should take some practical steps:
- Please review current Google Play distribution agreements with respect to the specific steering restrictions identified by the Commission, as those terms are the subject of the enforcement order.
- Please monitor Google’s announced changes to the address terms over the next 60 days, as permitted forms of external offer communication depend on final implementation.
- For businesses that rely on Google Search visibility, keep track of changes Google is testing in the placement of its own shopping, hotel, transportation, and sports results, which may affect third-party rankings.
- Document any competitive harm caused by the identified practices, as the Commission’s finding may support related complaints or claims.
Google has not confirmed whether it will appeal the decision, although the Commission said the option is available. The final form of Google’s compliance changes to Play’s search ranking and direction has not been confirmed, and whether those changes satisfy the DMA will depend on the Commission’s assessment at the end of the 60-day period.
Further fines would only be applied if the Commission determines that Google has not put an end to the violations within that period.
