On July 22, 2026, the European Commission adopted two non-compliance decisions against Google under the Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925), imposing combined fines of EUR 890 million. The Commission fined Google EUR 460 million for self-preferencing its own services on Google Search and EUR 430 million for restricting app developers on Google Play from steering consumers to alternative, often cheaper, channels. Google must bring both breaches to an end within 60 days or face periodic penalty payments of up to 5 percent of its total worldwide turnover.
The decisions convert multi-year DMA investigations into binding cease-and-desist obligations with a hard compliance clock. Google may decide to appeal. Affected businesses should treat the 60-day window as the operational deadline for Google's remedial changes, and plan for how Search ranking and Play distribution terms may shift once those remedies ship.
What did the Commission find on Google Search?
The DMA bars gatekeepers from treating their own services more favourably than third-party services in ranking, and requires transparent, fair and non-discriminatory ranking conditions. The Commission found that Google gives its own shopping, hotel, transport and sports results more prominence in Google Search than comparable third-party services, including top-of-page placement and enhanced visuals and filters not available to third parties.
Google has proposed and started testing changes for free services such as shopping, hotels and flights, and is testing changes to shopping ads and sports content. The Commission will monitor whether these constitute effective compliance. It also notes Google's proposals on applying the decision's principles to AI Overviews and AI Mode, where dialogue continues and no finding has yet been made.
What did the Commission find on Google Play anti-steering?
Under the DMA, app developers distributing via Google Play must be able to inform users, free of charge, of alternative offers and direct them to purchase outside the store, including on websites or rival app stores. The Commission found that Google prevents developers from freely communicating, promoting offers and concluding contracts through channels of their choice, including third-party app stores.
While Google may charge a fee for facilitating a new customer acquisition, the Commission ruled that the level of the steering-related fees and the length of the charging period exceeded what the DMA permits. Google has rolled out changes to its steering terms that the Commission calls good progress, but they remain under assessment against the cease-and-desist order.
Who is affected, and what must happen within 60 days?
The decisions bind Google, but they reshape the commercial environment for two groups. First, comparison, shopping, hotel, travel and sports service operators that compete with Google's own units on Search should see ranking parity restored. Second, Android app developers and alternative app store operators gain enforceable rights to promote and transact offers outside Google Play without disproportionate steering fees.
The 60-day compliance deadline runs from the decisions. Failure to comply exposes Google to periodic penalty payments of up to 5 percent of its total worldwide turnover. Affected businesses should not assume immediate change: the Commission is still assessing Google's tested remedies, and the practical effect depends on what Google ships within the deadline.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 2023 | Google designated DMA gatekeeper for Google Search |
| March 25, 2024 | Commission opened non-compliance investigations |
| March 19, 2025 | Commission sent preliminary breach view to Google |
| July 22, 2026 | Two non-compliance decisions and EUR 890 million in fines |
| 60 days after July 22, 2026 | Compliance deadline, under 5 percent turnover penalty |
What should affected businesses do now?
App developers and competing service operators should audit their current ranking and distribution position against the conduct the decisions prohibit, and document any continued disadvantage once Google's tested changes roll out. Developers distributing via Google Play should review the updated steering terms and confirm whether they can lawfully communicate out-of-store offers and transact without disproportionate fees.
General counsel and regulatory affairs leads should track the 60-day window and any appeal filing, brief commercial teams on the restored steering and ranking rights, and revisit contracts that assumed Google Play exclusivity or Search ranking disadvantage.
Take advantage of this real-time watch
Verify whether your products compete with Google's own Search verticals or depend on Google Play distribution, map the 60-day compliance clock to your commercial roadmap, and brief product and legal teams on the rights the decisions reinforce. Continuous, per-jurisdiction real-time monitoring surfaces this kind of DMA enforcement the moment it publishes, which is how Obsidian keeps compliance teams ready to act.
