Google fined €890M by EU for favoring its own apps, marking first major DMA enforcement action

The European Commission just handed Google a bill for €890 million, and for once, it’s not for something that happened a decade ago. The fine, announced on July 23, represents the first enforcement action under the EU’s Digital Markets Act against Google, targeting the company for giving its own services preferential treatment in search results and restricting app developers in the Play Store.

For context, this brings Google’s total EU antitrust tab to over €10 billion. At this point, Brussels might want to consider naming a conference room after the company.

What Google actually did

The penalty breaks down into two chunks. The first, €460 million, targets self-preferencing in Google Search. The Commission found that Google gave its own services more prominent placements and fancier visual displays compared to competitors.

The second chunk, €430 million, addresses Google Play Store practices. The Commission determined that Google’s policies prevented app developers from telling users about cheaper ways to buy things outside the Play Store.

Both violations fall under DMA Article 6(5), the provision specifically designed to prevent dominant platforms from tilting the playing field in their own favor. The investigation kicked off in March 2024, with preliminary findings surfacing in 2025 before culminating in this penalty.

Google, for its part, has indicated it’s in “constructive” talks with regulators about achieving compliance.

Why crypto and fintech investors should pay attention

The Digital Markets Act establishes rules that prevent gatekeepers, defined as platforms with significant market power, from leveraging their position to crush competitors.

Consider the Play Store angle specifically. Google was penalized for preventing developers from steering users toward alternative payment methods. When Apple and Google control the app store gates, they effectively control which payment rails users can access, including whether users can easily reach crypto on-ramps.

The bigger regulatory picture

The DMA entered into force in 2023 and has been slowly building enforcement muscle. What makes this ruling notable is that it demonstrates the Commission is willing to move from investigation to significant financial penalties. Prior EU antitrust actions against Google stretched over years and involved lengthy appeals. The DMA was designed to be faster and sharper, and this timeline, from investigation launch in March 2024 to a fine in mid-2026, suggests regulators are delivering on that promise.

Google’s compliance discussions are ongoing, and regulators have signaled that further adjustments to Google’s services may be required.

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