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The European Union is preparing to impose fines on Google totaling hundreds of millions of euros (approximately several hundred million USD) in an antitrust probe, officials said, raising the prospect of one of the stiffest penalties under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Germany’s Handelsblatt reported on the 25th (local time), citing European Commission sources, that the decision on sanctions is in its final stages and is likely to be announced before the summer holiday period. The fine under review is being considered at the level of several hundred million euros (approximately several hundred million USD).
The probe follows the antitrust investigation the EU formally opened in March 2025. Regulators are examining whether Google favored its own services in search results and disadvantaged competing services. The Commission is closely scrutinizing whether the world’s largest search engine is complying with the DMA.
The DMA is the EU’s flagship digital regulation designed to curb abuses of market dominance by big tech. It designates platforms above a certain size as “gatekeepers” and bans practices such as favoring their own services, restricting competition, and monopolizing data.
The Commission says it is prioritizing remedies and ensuring compliance over simply imposing fines. “We are negotiating solutions, but we will not hesitate to move to the next stage if necessary,” Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said in an emailed statement.
Google pushed back, arguing the EU rules have reduced the quality of its search service. A company spokesperson said, “The search changes we’ve implemented under the DMA have caused the largest performance degradation in our product’s history. They have delivered a second-rate search experience for European users and benefited only a limited set of stakeholders.”
Still, Google indicated it prefers to find a resolution rather than prolong the dispute. Earlier this month, the Commission judged Google’s proposed fixes insufficient but granted additional time for further negotiations.
Chan Park cpark@aitimes.com
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