Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is poised to face charges from the European Union for allegedly violating regulations designed to curb the influence of major tech companies. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that revisions proposed by Google to its search results did not adequately satisfy the concerns raised by EU antitrust authorities as well as its competitors.
This development occurs in a climate of heightened tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed support for American tech firms lobbying against EU regulations and has criticized the fines imposed on these companies, likening them to tariffs. This situation has sparked fears that European regulators may relax their scrutiny of Big Tech entities.
The European Commission has been investigating Google for possible violations of the Digital Markets Act since March of the previous year.
One of the ongoing investigations examines whether Google provides preferential treatment to its proprietary search services, including Google Shopping, Google Flights, and Google Hotels, while potentially sidelining competing services in its search results.
Sources have confirmed that the forthcoming charges are related to this particular issue.
The EU competition authority has refrained from commenting on the matter, while Google pointed to a blog post from December by Oliver Bethell, the company’s Director of EMEA Competition. In this post, Bethell mentioned that Google is striving to devise a balanced strategy in cooperation with the Commission.
He further warned that implementing additional changes to Google’s search result display to satisfy competitors could lead to the removal of useful features.
In recent months, Google has unveiled several modifications to its search result formats in an attempt to reconcile the demands of various stakeholders, including price-comparison platforms, hotels, airlines, and smaller retailers. However, most have deemed these changes non-compliant with the Digital Markets Act.
EU antitrust authorities have also expressed discontent regarding Google’s suggestion to revert to traditional blue link listings in search results if disputes with rivals remain unresolved, according to one insider.
Under the Digital Markets Act, Google is prohibited from privileging its own products and services on its platforms, with penalties that could reach up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue for breaches.
Charges relating to the Digital Markets Act are expected to be issued against Google following forthcoming decisions on separate inquiries into Apple and Meta Platforms, which are reportedly further along in their investigative processes.
Another investigation concerning Google is examining possible restrictions that impede app developers from alerting users about offers available outside the Google App Store, provided at no extra cost.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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