What specific Google services did the EU find favored unfairly?

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Google Services Found to Be Unfairly Favored by EU Fines

The European Union has imposed significant fines on Google, totalling 890 million euros, due to practices that unfairly favoured the company's own services over those of its rivals. Specifically, the EU found that Google illegally favoured its own services, such as Google Flights and Google Hotels, within its search results. This practice led to a fine of 460 million euros.
Unfair Favoritism in Search Results

Google was fined 460 million euros for manipulating its search engine results to give preferential treatment to its proprietary services. This included platforms like Google Flights and Google Hotels, which were presented more prominently than competing services. The European Commission stated that this action was taken to ensure more competition and foster innovation among other companies.
Penalties for Restricting App Developer Offers

A separate fine of 430 million euros was levied against Google because it prevented app developers from showcasing offers to consumers outside of its official Google Play store. This restriction limited the ability of developers to freely promote their deals, thereby stifling competition and consumer choice.
Digital Markets Act as a Framework

These penalties are significant under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect in 2024. The DMA aims to regulate large technology firms, often referred to as "gatekeepers," to ensure a fairer competitive landscape in the digital sector. Google's fines are among the largest issued under this legislation, following earlier penalties against Meta and Apple in 2025.
Google's Response to EU Actions

Google has expressed strong disagreement with the EU's findings, with its head of global affairs, Kent Walker, stating that the regulations forced the company to degrade its products. He argued that the EU mandated the removal of real-time search features, such as instant pricing and direct availability information for hotels, flights, and restaurants, and the dismantling of safety protections on Google Play. Google contends that this situation does not represent fair competition.

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What specific Google services did the EU find favored unfairly?

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