EU fines Google €890 million over search and app-store competition breaches
The European Commission fined Google €890 million for Digital Markets Act breaches involving preferential treatment in search and restrictions on app developers directing users to outside offers.
The European Commission fined Google a combined €890 million on July 23, 2026, after finding that the company breached European Union competition rules governing search results and its app store.
The Commission imposed a €460 million penalty over Google’s treatment of its own services in search results and €430 million over restrictions that prevented app developers from directing consumers to cheaper offers on websites or alternative app stores, according to The Guardian’s report on the decision.
Regulators ordered Google to treat third-party services appearing in search results fairly and without discrimination, and to permit developers to make offers outside Google Play. The Commission said changes Google had begun testing represented substantial progress toward compliance.
Google can appeal. Kent Walker, the company’s president of global affairs, criticised the ruling and argued that the required changes would reduce useful search features and weaken protections on Google Play.
The decision is part of the EU’s enforcement of the Digital Markets Act against large technology platforms. Apple and Meta were also fined under the law in 2025.
