Overview
- Reporters said Tuesday that the European Commission is preparing a high triple‑digit million‑euro penalty for Alphabet’s Google after a probe found signs it may have favoured its own services in Search.
- The formal investigation began in March 2025 and focuses on whether Google gave preferential placement to its shopping, travel and local services at the expense of rival sites and apps.
- Commission spokespeople have emphasized that securing compliance with the Digital Markets Act is the primary aim and that fines are a tool to achieve behavioural change.
- Google has pushed back, saying the DMA-driven changes have degraded Search for European users and describing the adjustments it has made as a major downgrade to the product.
- The DMA allows fines up to 10% of a firm’s global turnover so the reported penalty would be large but not the law’s maximum, and markets have shown immediate caution with Alphabet shares sliding on the news.