EU Imposes Massive Fine on Google

Compiled by Chanlian News Agency

On May 25 local time, Germany's reported, citing sources from the European Commission, that the EU is preparing to impose fines amounting to hundreds of millions of euros on Google and its parent company Alphabet for alleged violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

According to the report, the decision is nearing completion and is expected to be officially announced before the EU's summer recess this year. This could also become one of the largest fines issued by the EU under the DMA.

The investigation officially began as early as March 2025, focusing on Google's search business. The EU suspects that Google prioritizes its own services such as shopping, maps, and hotels in search results, thereby reducing the visibility of competitors. One of the key objectives of the DMA is to restrict large tech platforms from acting as both 'referee and player.'

However, the final penalty decision still requires approval from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier responded by stating that the EU is more focused on promoting corporate compliance rather than just imposing fines. 'Even if both sides are still discussing future solutions, we will not hesitate to take the next steps as soon as possible.'

Google strongly opposes the EU's regulatory requirements. The company stated that it has already made 'significant adjustments' to its European search products to comply with the DMA, calling it 'one of the biggest downgrades in search history,' which has degraded the user experience for Europeans while benefiting only a few competitors. Google also expressed its hope to continue negotiating solutions with the EU.

According to the report, the EU had previously given Google time to rectify the issues, as the company's previously submitted modification plans failed to satisfy regulators. Nevertheless, the European Commission still tend to (leans towards) imposing penalties to strengthen enforcement of the DMA.

This case is also seen as a new round of friction in the relationship between the US and Europe regarding tech regulation. Against the backdrop of a recently concluded new tariff agreement between the US and Europe, if the EU imposes heavy fines on US tech giants, it could further escalate tensions between the two sides.

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