EU fines Google €890m over search bias, Play Store restrictions

The European Union fined Google 890 million euros on Thursday, for breaking the Digital Markets Act. The penalties include 460 million euros for search self-preferencing and 430 million euros for Play Store anti-steering restrictions.

Regulators found that Google prominently displays its own services via enhanced visuals in search results, giving them an unfair advantage over rival third-party businesses. Meanwhile, Google criticized the decision as product degradation, claiming the rules force them to remove popular real-time features like instant pricing for hotels and flights.