Jakarta - Google Search and the Play Store app store are suspected of violating the European Union's Digital Markets Act based on initial findings from an investigation announced by European Commission law enforcement on Wednesday (19/3).
The DMA applies to a number of tech giants, including Google’s parent company Alphabet. Several aspects of Google’s business have been under investigation by the EU since March 2024, shortly after the law came into effect, according to a TechCrunch report .
The EU has yet to make a final conclusion on the investigation. However, if found to have violated the Digital Markets Act, Google could be fined up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue.
The EU's initial findings against Google cover Google Search and the Play Store.
In relation to Google Search, the European Commission's law enforcement agencies suspect Google of violating DMA rules that require companies not to favor their own services over those of competitors. The DMA prohibits the practice of self-preferencing .
In its press release, the European Union stated that Alphabet gives preferential treatment to its own services, such as online shopping, hotel bookings, transportation, or financial and sports results, compared to similar services offered by third parties in Google Search results.