Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 11, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleGoogle is likely to be fined by the EU next year for not complying with rules against favoring its own services in search results, despite recent compliance efforts.
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google is expected to be fined by EU antitrust regulators next year for not doing enough to comply with EU rules against favouring its own services and products in search results, people familiar with the matter said.
A penalty against Google will likely rile the United States, which has criticised a slew of landmark EU laws as taking aim at U.S. tech companies despite EU denials to the contrary.
The world's most popular internet search engine was charged by the European Commission in March with favouring its own services such as Google Shopping, Google Hotels and Google Flights over competitors.
The case pits Google against vertical search engines, which are specialised search engines with links to a specific sector, and hotels, airlines, restaurants and transport services.
The two latter groups also compete for more prominent spots in Google's search results, resulting in conflicting demands on Google.
Since the Commission's March charges, Google has offered a series of tweaks to its search results, with the last proposal in October, but this still falls short of complying with the Digital Markets Act, which makes it illegal for Big Tech to promote its services and products, the people said.
The Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, and Google declined to comment.
A Google spokesperson has previously said that any further changes to Search would prioritise the commercial interests of a small set of intermediaries over European businesses who want to sell directly to their customers.
Google can still make changes to comply with the DMA to stave off a fine, the people said.
DMA violations can lead to fines as much as 10% of a company's global annual turnover.
The self-preference case is separate from an investigation into its app store Google Play, where the company similarly risks a fine next year, sources have told Reuters.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Antitrust refers to laws and regulations that promote competition and prevent monopolies in the marketplace, ensuring fair competition among businesses.
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and managing the EU's policies and budget.
The Digital Markets Act is a regulation proposed by the European Commission aimed at ensuring fair competition in the digital sector and preventing large tech companies from abusing their market dominance.
Compliance refers to the process of adhering to laws, regulations, and guidelines set by governing bodies or organizations to ensure ethical and legal operations.
Self-preference occurs when a company prioritizes its own products or services over those of competitors, potentially leading to unfair market advantages.
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