Google has been fined €890m by the EU for allegedly abusing its power by favoring its own apps and services over those from rivals, the BBC reports.
It is the first major action against the tech giant under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark law aimed at curbing the power of the world’s biggest tech companies.
The Commission argued Google’s practices limited consumer choice and gave its own services an unfair advantage over rivals.
But the firm criticised the decision, arguing the EU’s requirements could damage services used by millions of European customers.
“To comply, we are having to strip away real-time Search features Europeans love – like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights and restaurants – and dismantle safety protections on Google Play,” said Google’s president of global affairs Kent Walker.
“This isn’t fair competition.”
EU officials rejected that argument, saying the measures are necessary to prevent dominant platforms from disadvantaging rivals.
The total fine handed down to Google is comprised of two separate breaches of the DMA.
