Google faces huge EU penalty over search practices

FRANKFURT: The European Union is planning to fine Alphabet’s Google a high triple-digit million euro amount as part of an antitrust investigation, Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Monday, citing commission sources.

The decision is nearing completion and is expected to be announced before the summer break, the paper said, adding it would be the largest penalty the EU has imposed for a breach of its Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to curb the power of big tech companies.

The investigation, which was officially launched in March 2025, relates to concerns that Google favours its own services in search results and seeks to ensure the world’s most popular internet search engine complies with local regulation.

The Commission is more interested in securing compliance rather than imposing penalties, spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in an emailed statement.

“Even with our negotiations on future solutions, we will not hesitate to move to the next steps as soon as possible,” he added.

Google has criticised the impact of the EU’s rules on its search product and said it is keen to resolve the case.

“The changes we’ve already made to Search under the DMA represent the biggest downgrade in the product’s history, creating a second-rate experience for Europeans to the benefit of a few self-interested complainants,” a company spokesperson said.

Earlier this month, the European Commission said it had given Google a little bit more time to soothe concerns after a previous proposal from the company fell short.

المصدر: Free Malaysia Today