The European Union on Thursday imposed fines totalling 890 million euros ($1 billion) on Google over alleged violations related to its search practices and Google Play Store policies, in one of the largest penalties issued under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European Commission said the action was aimed at ensuring fair competition and preventing major technology companies from giving unfair advantages to their own services.

The EU imposed a 460 million euro penalty on Google for allegedly favouring its own services, including Google Flights and Google Hotels, over competing platforms in search results. Regulators said Google’s practices reduced opportunities for rival businesses and limited competition in online search markets. EU officials said the company continued to show preference toward its own services despite regulatory concerns.

A second fine of 430 million euros was issued over Google’s restrictions on app developers using the Google Play Store. The European Commission said developers were not allowed to freely promote offers and services to consumers outside the Play Store environment. The measure covered the period from March 2024 to December 2025, according to EU officials.

Also Read: Google Introduces Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite, Says Gemini 4 Is in Training

European technology chief Henna Virkkunen said the decision was intended to create more opportunities for competitors and encourage innovation in the digital sector. EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said consumers should be able to choose the best products based on quality rather than because they are owned by the same company operating a major search platform.

Google rejected the EU’s findings, arguing that the regulations forced the company to reduce features and protections available to European users. Google’s head of global affairs, Kent Walker, said the company was being pushed to remove features such as direct availability information for hotels, flights and restaurants, while also weakening safety measures on Google Play.

The latest penalties add to a long history of disputes between Google and European regulators. The company has previously faced billions of euros in EU fines over competition issues between 2017 and 2019. The decision also comes amid wider tensions between Washington and Brussels, with US officials previously accusing the EU of unfairly targeting American technology companies. EU officials said they would continue enforcing digital regulations despite possible political disagreements.

Also Read: Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis Shares Insights On Future AI Users