The European Union is preparing to impose a record financial penalty on Google under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), having concluded that the tech giant improperly favors its own services in search results. According to information from the German publication "Handelsblatt," which cites sources within the European Commission, the fine is expected to reach hundreds of millions of euros.
If confirmed, this will be the largest penalty imposed so far under the DMA, which entered into force in March 2024 and introduced a new control regime for so-called "gatekeepers" – the largest digital platforms, which are required to comply with strict rules on competition and transparency.
A fine of hundreds of millions of euros for "self-preferencing"
The size of the sanction is expected to reach several hundred million euros – a sum that would make this case the most severe example of DMA enforcement to date. At the center of the investigation are Google's practices in which the company places its own services and products more favorably in the search engine than those of competitors – so-called "self-preferencing."
European regulators have for years viewed such practices as a form of abuse of dominant position, and the new legal framework under the DMA provides them with faster and sharper tools for reaction. According to "Handelsblatt," the European Commission is in the final stages of drafting its decision, and an official announcement is expected before the institutions' summer break.
The final word – with Ursula von der Leyen
According to the publication, the final decision on the exact amount of the fine will be approved by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. This underscores the political weight of the case, which is not only legal but also a symbolic signal of the EU's readiness to use its new regulatory tools against the largest technology companies.
The decision follows lengthy technical discussions and consultations within the Commission, including an assessment of whether the changes proposed by Google actually comply with the spirit and letter of the DMA.
Google's attempts to comply with the rules did not convince Brussels
The fine is being prepared despite Google's attempts to soften the regulator's position. At the beginning of May, the company proposed changes to its anti-spam policies and the way results are displayed, aiming to address the Commission's concerns and allow stakeholders to express their positions.
The European Commission, however, deemed these proposals insufficient and granted Google additional time to draft a more ambitious compliance plan. Meanwhile, the patience of European publishers and technology companies has run out – as early as March, a coalition that includes the "European Publishers Council" with members such as "Axel Springer" and "News Corp," called on Brussels to conclude the investigation and impose sanctions.
A long-standing clash between the EU and Google
The upcoming fine under the DMA is the latest episode in the tense regulatory confrontation between the European Commission and Google. In September 2025, the Commission imposed a 2.95 billion euro sanction on the company for abusing its dominant position in the advertising technology market. That proceeding, however, was conducted under classical EU antitrust legislation, specifically Article 102 of the Treaty.
The DMA represents a separate, newer regulatory regime aimed not at individual abuses but at the systemic behavior of large platforms. So far, no fine of this magnitude has been imposed under this framework, making the current case a kind of test for the effectiveness of the law.
A signal for tightening control over digital giants
For comparison, the largest sanction under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to date is the 120 million euro fine imposed on the platform "X" in December 2025. A planned sanction under the DMA in the amount of several hundred million euros would mean a significant raising of the stakes and an explicit signal that Brussels is ready to use the full potential of the new regulations.
For large tech companies, this serves as a reminder that the time of relatively free self-regulation in the EU is coming to an end. From now on, failure to fulfill obligations under the DMA and DSA could have both serious financial and reputational consequences in one of the most important markets in the world.