The European Union on Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 890 million on Google after it said the tech giant violated digital antitrust regulations by setting up Google Play and its search engine to lure consumers towards its services and apps at the expense of competitors.
It was the latest in a major crackdown on big tech companies by Brussels, which has led the world to rein in some of the world’s biggest companies from Silicon Valley to Beijing.It did so despite the risk of angering President Donald Trump, who has criticized the 27-nation bloc’s digital regulations amid a broader anti-European campaign. In the past, Trump has threatened retaliation if US technology companies are punished.The European Commission, the bloc’s executive authority, said it was acting in the interests of consumers after investigating Google. “The best products should succeed because they are the best, not because they are owned by the company that runs the search engine,” said Teresa Ribera, Commission Executive Vice-President for Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition.Kent Walker, Google’s head of global affairs, criticized the fine as “product degradation due to a small group of self-serving complainants,” which would have a negative impact on European companies and consumers.
He said the EU’s Digital Markets Act forces Google to “strip away the real-time search features that Europeans love — such as instant pricing and live availability of hotels, flights and restaurants — and dismantle safety protections on Google Play.”
“The European Union describes the world’s seven technology giants – Amazon, Apple, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance, which owns TikTok – as “gatekeepers” who control consumer access.European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said: “In the European Union, companies have the right to compete fairly. Gatekeepers have an obligation to ensure a level playing field and the right of consumers to choose cheaper alternative offers.” AP
