THE European Commission is continuing dialogue with Google as it assesses the company’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) following its July ruling and a combined 890 million euro penalty. The Commission is reviewing Google’s recent changes to search result presentation and to the Google Play Store’s fee structure, with a Reuters report indicating that the EU is evaluating whether these steps are sufficient to meet DMA requirements.
Google has begun altering how results are displayed and has partly implemented changes aimed at Play Store pricing, but the Commission has not yet determined if these actions fully address the DMA breaches.
The penalties were split into two fines: 460 million euros for self-preferencing in Google Search and 430 million euros for restrictions tied to Google Play. The DMA requires fair ranking of search results and allowing developers to promote offers outside the store, with freedom to transact directly with users. Google was given 60 days to remedy the violations, and the Commission warned that failure to comply could trigger ongoing periodic daily penalties.
For now, the Commission is weighing Google’s adjustments and seeking feedback from market players, emphasiting that changes must demonstrate fair ranking and cannot be overridden by user experience considerations. The ongoing review suggests a possible dispute over whether live features, such as hotel and flight price integrations, can remain if they align with DMA fairness, though EU regulators currently push for demonstrably fair, non-discriminatory results.