EU Finalizes Record DMA Fine Against Google Over Search Self-Preferencing Abuse

The European Union is on the verge of issuing its largest-ever penalty under the Digital Markets Act, targeting Alphabet’s Google for allegedly manipulating search results to favor its own services over competitors, a move set to further strain transatlantic tech relations.

Brussels has formally accused Google and its parent company, Alphabet, of violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by systematically prioritizing its own products and services within its dominant search engine results.

The EU Commission’s investigation, officially launched in March 2025, centers on whether Google’s search algorithm unfairly pushes users toward Google-owned properties such as Google Shopping, Google Maps, and Google Flights while suppressing rival services.

The DMA, the EU’s landmark regulation designed to curb the power of Big Tech “gatekeepers,” explicitly prohibits self-preferencing behavior by dominant platforms.

Under the DMA framework, companies designated as gatekeepers are legally obligated to maintain fair and open digital markets, and violations can carry fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover.

Record DMA Fine Against Google

According to sources cited by Germany’s Handelsblatt, EU officials are preparing to impose a fine in the high triple-digit million euro range, making it the single largest penalty ever issued under the DMA.

The final call rests with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is reportedly still deliberating on the decision. The official announcement is expected before the EU’s summer parliamentary recess.

This potential fine follows a pattern of escalating EU enforcement against Google. The company has already received multiple antitrust penalties from Brussels, including a €2.42 billion fine in 2017 for Google Shopping abuses, a record €4.34 billion in 2018 related to the Android ecosystem, a €1.49 billion penalty in 2019 for restricting online advertising competition, and, most recently a €2.95 billion fine in September 2025 for adtech self-preferencing.

Ahead of the anticipated ruling, Google has reportedly already taken compliance steps in an effort to address the Commission’s concerns. However, EU sources indicate that an earlier remedy proposal submitted by Google did not meet expectations, leading the Commission to grant the company additional time to revise its approach.

The EU Commission has made clear that compliance, not punishment, is the primary goal, with spokesperson Thomas Regnier emphasizing Brussels’ preference for behavioral change over financial penalties. Despite this stance, the imminent fine signals that Google’s corrective measures have yet to satisfy regulators.

The timing of this enforcement action is politically sensitive. The fine is set to arrive shortly after the EU and the US finalized a customs trade agreement, raising concerns about renewed friction in transatlantic relations.

US President Donald Trump has previously criticized EU tech fines as unfair targeting of American companies, and a fresh high-profile penalty against Google is likely to reignite that debate. Also, the EU Proposes Requiring Google to Share User Search Data with Rival Search Engines.

If the fine is formally issued as reported, it will mark a watershed moment for DMA enforcement, demonstrating that Europe is prepared to use its new regulatory arsenal aggressively against even the world’s most powerful technology platforms.

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