The European Union (EU) is planning to hit Google with what could become one of the largest penalties ever as part of an antitrust investigation. According to Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper which unveiled the news on Monday, 25, 2026, a high triple-digit million euro amount penalties—potentially close to €1 billion—will be issued under the EU's new Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The EU has been actively using DMA to curb the power of big tech companies, especially the ones in Silicon Valley. The regulator probed Google in March 2025 over claims that the company unfairly promotes its own services inside search results, including prioritizing its own shopping tools, travel products, maps, ads, and comparison services over competitors.
So, the regulator is seeking for the world’s most popular internet search engine to comply with local regulation. The Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper also unveiled that the EU's preparation to impose the fine is nearing completion and is expected to be announced ahead of the summer holiday period.
The DMA is Europe’s newest and most aggressive tech regulation law. It targets “gatekeepers” — giant companies that control critical digital platforms. That includes Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft. The law is designed to stop bigtech companies from favoring their own services, locking out competitors, abusing marketplace control, or forcing users into closed ecosystems.
It is important to note that this EU's move is not new to Google. For more than a decade, the company Google has faced multiple EU antitrust cases including shopping search manipulation, Android restrictions, advertising dominance, and ad-tech practices. In 2024, Europe’s top court upheld Google’s €2.4 billion antitrust fine related to shopping search favoritism.
However, the current DMA investigation is basically the next phase of that long-running battle. According to spokesperson Thomas Regnier who clarified in an emailed statement, the regulator's goal is compliance, not punishment. He also signalled that the regulator willing to escalate the matter if the company fails to comply. “Even with our negotiations on future solutions, we will not hesitate to move to the next steps as soon as possible,” he added.
Google’s response
Google says the EU’s demands are damaging its products. The company made it cleared that the changes already forced under DMA rules to Search have created “the biggest downgrade in the product’s history.” The company said the changes are creating an inferior experience for Europeans while benefiting a small group of self-interested complainants.
However, the company clarified that it's keen to resolve the case. Earlier this month, the regulator said it had given Google more time to address the concerns after an earlier proposal from the company failed to meet expectations. Notably, Google Search is the core of the company’s business model, so I believe the company would rather resolve and address the issues than fully comply with the regulator’s demands.
Google earns enormous revenue globally, so some people see these penalties as manageable business costs rather than real deterrents. In some ways, Europe is becoming a separate regulatory internet zone with different rules than the U.S.
