The European Union has imposed a fine of €890 million on Google

• The European Commission has imposed a total fine of €890 million on Google for violating competition rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

• Enacted in 2022, this law aims to curb the market dominance of major digital companies and ensure fair competition for smaller rivals.

• The Commission's investigation found that Google gave greater prominence to its own services and products in search results compared to those of competing platforms.

• This practice is known as "self-preferencing," where a digital platform grants an unfair advantage to its own services; the company was fined €460 million for this violation.

• Additionally, regarding the Google Play Store, the Commission alleged that the company prevented app developers from informing users about—or directing them toward—lower-priced payment or purchasing options available outside the platform.

• Such policies are known as "anti-steering restrictions," and Google was fined an additional €430 million for this violation.

• This action reflects the European Union's policy of placing special emphasis on maintaining fair competition in the digital market and effectively monitoring the market power of big tech companies.