Google Search charged with breaking EU antitrust rules

Google is breaking European antitrust laws by favoring its own Shopping, Hotels, and Flights search services over rival comparison providers, according to the European Commission. The EU announced in its preliminary ruling today that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had also violated anti-steering rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by preventing app developers on its Play Store from steering customers to other distribution channels. Google can challenge the preliminary charges or make additional compliance changes ahead of the EU’s final ruling. The EU can fine companies up to 10 percent of their global annual revenue for DMA violations, which would be a maximum of $35 billion based on the $350 billion Alphabet earned in 2024. “In the first case, our preliminary view is that Alphabet is in breach of the Digital Markets Act by favouring its own products on the Google Search results page, which means suppliers and competitors do not benefit from fair ranking practices,” Teresa ... Read full article.