The European Union has fined Google’s parent company, Alphabet, €890 million (approximately Rs. 9,796 crore) for breaching the Digital Markets Act through its Search and Play Store practices. The European Commission announced the decision on Thursday, concluding a two-year investigation that found Google gave its own services an unfair advantage in search results and restricted app developers’ ability to offer alternative payment options.
The fine is split into €460 million for Google Search and €430 million for Play Store violations. Regulators determined that Google prominently displayed its own Shopping, Hotels, Flights, and other services over rival platforms, and prevented Android developers from directing users to cheaper payment methods outside the Play Store.
In response, the European Commission has ordered Google to treat competing services fairly in search results and allow developers to freely promote alternative payment systems. While Google implemented some changes during discussions with regulators, the Commission concluded these adjustments did not fully comply with the Digital Markets Act.
Google has announced its intention to appeal the decision, arguing that the Digital Markets Act makes its products less useful and could increase Android users’ vulnerability to scams and harmful links. This penalty marks Google’s first major fine under the Digital Markets Act and signals the EU’s continued strict enforcement of digital competition rules against large technology companies.
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