Google fined $1 billion for EU antitrust violations
▼ Summary
– The European Union fined Alphabet €890 million for two violations of the Digital Markets Act.
– One €460 million penalty is for giving Google’s own Shopping, Hotels, and Flights services preferential treatment in search results.
– Another €430 million penalty is for Play Store rules that blocked Android developers from directing users to alternative payment systems.
The European Union has imposed a combined penalty of €890 million , roughly $1 billion , on Google’s parent company Alphabet for breaching the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) in two distinct areas. The first violation concerns the company favoring its own products in search results, while the second involves restrictions on Android app developers regarding payment options.
A €460 million fine specifically targets Google’s practice of giving preferential treatment to its own Shopping, Hotels, and Flights services within Google Search results. The second penalty, amounting to €430 million, stems from Play Store policies that prevent developers from freely directing consumers to alternative payment systems. These actions, according to EU regulators, undermine competition and consumer choice in the digital marketplace.
(Source: The Verge)
