Google has been fined €890m by the European Union for breaching online competition laws through its search and app store services, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- Google fined a total of €890m (£760m) by the EU.
- Penalty issued by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.
- The Commission found Google breached the Digital Markets Act.
- Google was found to give priority to its own services, such as shopping and hotel deals, in search results.
- The firm was told to treat third-party services in its results in a 'fair and non-discriminatory manner'.
Google has been fined a total of €890m (£760m) by the European Union for breaches of online competition laws relating to its search and app store services, according to the Guardian.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said Google had broken the Digital Markets Act by giving priority to its own services in search results over those of its rivals. Among the services the Commission cited were Google’s shopping and hotel deals features.
As part of the ruling, the firm was told to treat third-party services that appear in its results in a ‘fair and non-discriminatory manner’, the Guardian reported.
The Digital Markets Act is the EU’s framework for regulating the conduct of large online platforms, and the case centres on the Commission’s finding that Google unfairly advantaged its own offerings within its search results.
The €890m penalty adds to the scrutiny that large technology companies face over how they rank and present competing services on their platforms.
The Guardian’s report focused on the size of the fine and the Commission’s central finding that Google prioritised its own services, alongside the instruction for the company to change how it treats third-party services.
Why it matters
The fine signals that EU regulators are willing to enforce the Digital Markets Act against the largest technology platforms over how they treat rival services. For consumers and competing businesses, the outcome could affect how search results and app stores present alternatives to Google's own products.
Frequently asked questions
How much was Google fined by the EU?
Google was fined a total of €890m (£760m) by the European Union, according to the Guardian.
Why was Google fined?
The European Commission said Google had broken the Digital Markets Act by giving priority to its own services, such as shopping and hotel deals, in search results over those of its rivals.
What has Google been told to do?
The firm was told to treat third-party services that appear in its results in a 'fair and non-discriminatory manner'.