The European Commission announced on Thursday that it has fined Google a total of €890 million ($940 million) for violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The penalty is divided into two parts: a €460 million fine for allegedly favoring its own flight and hotel booking services within search results, and a €430 million fine regarding Play Store rules that regulators say prevented developers from showing users cheaper offers available outside of Google's marketplace.
European officials stated that the measures are necessary to ensure a competitive environment. EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said that products should succeed based on quality rather than a company's market position as a search engine operator. The Commission argued that Google's current practices limit consumer choice and provide unfair advantages to its own services.
Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, criticized the decision, stating that the EU's requirements would force the company to remove real-time features such as instant pricing for travel and dismantle security protections on the Play Store. Mr. Walker argued that the ruling targets features users value and does not constitute "fair competition." Google has 60 days to either comply with the ruling or file an appeal in court.