The European Commission has imposed two fines on Google totaling €890 million – for favoring its own services in search results and for restricting developers in the Play Store. This is the first penalty against the company under the Digital Markets Act and also the highest Brussels has imposed on this basis to date.
The Digital Markets Act has noticeably shaped what's possible on smartphones in Europe since 2023 – particularly visible for Apple users in those features that are missing in the EU or are only appearing later. Thursday's decision now affects Google, but it concerns precisely the practices that Brussels is also arguing with Apple about. This brings to the forefront a question that concerns far more than just one corporation: How far can platform operators go in favoring their own services and isolating their stores?
Two separate proceedings, two fines
The sum is divided between two independent decisions. €460 million relates to Google Search: The company is alleged to have given preferential treatment to its own services, such as shopping and hotel offers, compared to competing providers. A further €430 million concerns the Play Store, where Google is accused of preventing developers from directing users to alternative and often cheaper purchasing options outside the store.
Neither of these points constitutes a classic antitrust charge, but rather a violation of specific obligations imposed on particularly large platforms by the Digital Markets Act. These companies are not only prohibited from abusing their market power – they must actively adhere to certain rules of conduct.
60-day deadline, then daily fines
Beyond the payment, the Commission demands concrete product changes. Third-party providers must be treated fairly and without discrimination in search results. App developers must be free to communicate technically and contractually, advertise offers, and conclude contracts with users – even outside the Play Store.
Google has 60 days to comply. If the deadline passes without implementation, Brussels can impose daily fines of up to five percent of the average global daily revenue – a mechanism that, unlike a one-time fine, continues to accrue each day. The Commission acknowledges that Google's adjustments already made represent significant progress; the company states that it is testing changes to the display of shopping ads and other services.
Given the framework established by the law, the sum is moderate: Fines of up to ten percent of global annual revenue would have been permissible, and up to twenty percent for repeated violations. Alphabet's revenue in 2025 was approximately $402.8 billion. Accordingly, the European Parliament and competitors criticized the fine, arguing that it fell short of the damage. Google can still appeal the decisions.
The same rules that Apple is working against
For Apple users, this case is more than just a footnote from the Google world. Apple held the previous record under the Digital Markets Act: the company was fined €500 million last year because developers were not allowed to link to alternative offerings outside the App Store. It is precisely this practice that Brussels is now criticizing Google for.
The legal battle is also unfolding in parallel. In early July, the Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed the lawsuits in which Apple challenged its classification as a gatekeeper for the App Store and iOS. And the interpretations continue to clash when new features are launched, as demonstrated by the dispute over Siri AI and the Commission's position.
What this means for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
The provisions of the Digital Markets Act apply within the EU single market. In Germany and Austria, the mandated changes will therefore take effect immediately as soon as Google implements them: increased visibility for competing services in search results and the ability to be directed to cheaper purchasing options directly from within apps.
Switzerland is neither a member of the EU nor the EEA and therefore does not fall under the Digital Markets Act. Changes implemented by providers for the European single market only reach Swiss users if the companies extend them voluntarily – a pattern that has already emerged with other DMA adjustments.
The DMA is becoming part of everyday life for platform operators
Four years after its enactment, the focus is shifting from who is subject to the law to its detailed enforcement. The structure of the requirements is similar across all companies: open search results, clear indications of alternative purchasing options, monitored by short deadlines and ongoing fines. For Apple as well as Google, this means that every adjustment in one market becomes a blueprint for the next. (Image: Shutterstock / Aliaksandr Antanovich)
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