Europe's €890 million Google Fine is 'Bare Minimum' – EU Must Now Force Compliance
Open Markets Institute Europe (OMI Europe) welcomes the European Commission’s decision to fine Google €890 million for violating competition laws for hiding cheaper offers and steering them towards its own results over those of its rivals. However, the announcement will only be meaningful if it is followed by swift action to ensure Google complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and ends its illegal conduct, which has continued for too long.
“Fining Google for its systematic and intentional non-compliance with the DMA is a good first step, but must be seen as the bare minimum. These fines are ultimately pocket change for Google, which earned over $400 billion in revenue last year alone. Today's fine is also significantly smaller than all of the fines that Google has paid for repeatedly violating similar competition law provisions, the most recent of which amounted to nearly 3 billion euros. Massive corporations like Google should not be able to buy their way out of complying with EU law,” said Max von Thun, Director of Open Markets Institute Europe. “It has taken over two years to get to this stage of the investigations, which is simply too slow. Having finally established Google’s non-compliance, the Commission must now move quickly to force Google to end its unfair business practices once and for all. Europe’s startups and innovators cannot wait any longer.”
Today’s fines are the latest development in a lengthy process that stretches back over two years. In March 2024, the Commission launched several non-compliance investigations into Google's self-preferencing on Search and its efforts to prevent app developers from reaching customers outside of its Play Store. In March 2025, the Commission announced its preliminary view that Google was in breach of the DMA. This extended delay in resolving the investigations has led to criticism from industry and civil society, including a letter led by Open Markets Europe and signed by over 30 organisations.
While it is encouraging that the Commission has now ordered Google to bring its non-compliance to an end, Google has already had over two years to come up with a viable solution. Instead of allowing Google to waste even more time through bad-faith delays, the Commission should be crystal clear with Google on what is needed to ensure effective compliance, including by using its specification powers under Article 8 of the DMA.
Finally, the announcement states that the Commission will engage in “dialogue” with Google over how the decision applies to its AI services, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. This is not enough. Given the speed and breadth with which Google is using its Search and Android monopolies to build a new monopoly in AI, the Commission must act swiftly to ensure the AI market remains fair and contestable now. Europe’s innovators and digital sovereignty are counting on it.