Google hit with $1 billion fine for breaking EU antitrust rules - The Verge

What the report says

The Verge reports that the European Commission has fined Alphabet, Google’s parent company, €890 million, or about $1 billion, over two findings that Google breached the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The decision, announced July 23, 2026, requires changes to Google Search and the Play Store after a non-compliance investigation that lasted more than two years.

According to The Verge, €460 million of the penalty concerns Google’s treatment of its own Shopping, Hotels and Flights services in search results. EU regulators said Google must handle rival services fairly and without discrimination. A separate €430 million fine targets Play Store rules that limited Android developers’ ability to direct users toward other payment options, including potentially cheaper offers outside Google’s app store.

The Commission gave Google 60 days to adjust its policies or risk additional recurring penalties. The Verge notes that the case followed a preliminary finding in March 2025 and that regulators granted Google more time in May 2026 after concluding an earlier proposal did not go far enough. Google had already tested changes in Europe, including alterations to travel-related search features and more visibility for comparison sites, while arguing that some compliance changes worsened the product experience.

The case is significant because the DMA is aimed at large digital “gatekeepers” and is designed to prevent dominant platforms from using their control of core services to disadvantage competitors. The Verge also notes prior regulatory pressure on Google, including a 2017 EU fine over comparison shopping and ongoing scrutiny of Play Store practices in the United States following litigation brought by Epic Games.