Wire · regulatory
EU hits Google with $1 billion fine over its Play app store and search
The EU fined Google €890 million for leveraging its Play app store and search engine to steer users toward its own services, breaching the Digital Markets Act. The penalty follows a previous €4.5 billion fine on Android and signals escalating enforcement against gatekeeper platforms on self-preferencing and competing app discovery.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
If you build apps or sell through app stores in Europe, Google's hand just got cut off the scale. The DMA now has enforcement teeth—app discovery, app store placement, and search prominence are contestable, and the EU will fine gatekeepers €1bn at a time for the kind of bundling that used to be cost-free.
◆ Coverage
40 sources · first reported 23 Jul 2026 · latest 29 Jul 2026
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