EU plans to fine Google hundredsfine Google hundreds of millions of euros
The European Union is planning to fine Alphabet’s Google a high triple-digit million euro amount after an antitrust investigation, according to a report published on May 25 and cited by multiple outlets on May 26.
The reported move would add to years of scrutiny over Google’s search and advertising practices in Europe and could shape how the company changes its services under the bloc’s digital rules.
European Union
EU officials are reported to see the case as part of enforcing competition rules in a market they say is still dominated by a handful of large platforms. A fine would signal that the bloc is prepared to use its regulatory power against even the world’s biggest technology companies.
Google says changes it has already made to Search under the Digital Markets Act have worsened the product for European users. The company argues that some of the pressure to alter its services benefits complainants more than consumers.
- The European Commission is both the EU’s executive arm and its main competition enforcer.
- Brussels fines against tech firms have often become reference points for regulators in other regions.
- Google Search has been a central target of European competition cases for more than a decade.
