The first result does not always mean the best choice
The bulk of the fine concerns the Google search engine. The European Union imposed a 460 million euro penalty for positioning its own services and offers that the company profited from at top spots. A user enters a query and usually focuses on the first results. If their order depends not only on relevance but also on the search engine owner's interest, the choice ceases to be entirely neutral.
A competing service may offer better terms but remains less visible because the platform promotes its own product. The EU deemed such conduct contrary to the Digital Markets Act.
Google must now present results fairly and non‑discriminatorily. This means a change in the rules of the game – a search position should not depend on whether an offer strengthens Google’s own business.
Play Store is no longer the sole gateway
The second violation cost the company 430 million euros! According to EU findings, Google prevented developers from informing customers about more favorable conditions available on competing sites or other stores.
This restriction struck both sides of the transaction.
The app creator could not freely point to a cheaper or more convenient purchase route, and the user did not receive full information about available options. The platform therefore maintained control not only over program distribution but also over the relationship between producer and customer.
After the EU decision, Google must allow developers to offer services outside the Play Store.
Europe changes visibility rules
An EU official announced that search results in Europe will look different. Google must adjust its search engine, and the size of the fine shows that Brussels does not treat DMA rules as a set of non‑binding recommendations.
890 million euros is the sum of two violations, but both share a common core.
