The Commission says it had up to 90 meetings with Google before the DMA fine, and the company accuses the degradation of services.

The Commission states that the fine of 890 million euros was adopted after nearly two years of investigations and between 80 and 90 meetings with Google. The company claims that the application of the Digital Markets Regulation reduces the utility of Search, weakens protections for Google Play, and delays the launch of products in Europe.

The European Commission asserts that it held between 80 and 90 meetings with Google before adopting the 890 million euro fine for violating the Digital Markets Regulation, while the company claims that the measures required by European authorities affect Search functionalities, the security of Google Play, and the launch of products in Europe.

In short

The Commission states that the sanctioned violations covered the period from March 2024 to December 2025, and subsequent discussions aimed to identify solutions for Google’s future compliance.

The Commission's spokesperson rejected the idea that the decision was delayed for political reasons and stated that it was adopted after the procedure was completed and the evidence was analyzed.

The 890 million euro fine represents approximately 0.22% of Google's annual global revenue, according to the Commission.

Google claims that the required changes eliminate direct information about prices and availability from Search and reduce the protections offered to Google Play users.

The company calls for continued dialogue with European authorities, while the Commission insists that EU digital legislation applies non-discriminatorily and is not negotiable in relation to the United States.

The Commission provided additional details about the investigations that led to the two fines imposed on Google: 460 million euros for favoring its own services in Google Search and 430 million euros for restrictions imposed on developers trying to direct users to offers outside of Google Play.

The Commission's spokesperson for digital affairs, Thomas Regnier, stated at the press briefing on July 23 that the institution had between 80 and 90 meetings with Google during the proceedings. He rejected allegations that the adoption of decisions had been delayed and stated that the fines were adopted when the investigations and defense procedures were completed.

"We adopt decisions when they are ready to be adopted. Our decisions are based on solid evidence. We have a strong case here," said Regnier. He added that meetings with Google continued throughout the investigation to discuss measures by which the company could comply in the future.

Investigations were opened in March 2024, and the sanctioned behaviors covered the period from March 2024 to December 2025. According to the Commission, at the end of this period, Google presented a solution, after which dialogue continued to establish the necessary changes in Search and Google Play.

Regnier explained that the immediate adoption of a fine in December 2025, without continuing discussions on compliance, could have affected European users. The Commission kept the possibility of dialogue open, but later decided that the procedure had reached a stage where final decisions needed to be adopted.

The duration of approximately 24 months of the investigations was criticized in the briefing, as the Digital Markets Regulation aims for quicker interventions than traditional competition procedures. Regnier responded that antitrust investigations typically last between four and five years and that procedures against Google have concluded two or three years earlier.

The 12-month timeframe considered for non-compliance investigations under the regulation represents a due diligence obligation, not an automatic deadline after which the procedure stops. The Commission stated that the additional duration allowed Google to exercise its rights of defense and propose solutions for compliance.

The total fine represents approximately 0.22% of Google's annual global revenue, according to the clarifications provided by the Commission in the briefing. The regulation allows for significantly higher fines; however, the value of each fine was calculated based on the severity and duration of the identified violation.

Google contests both the Commission's conclusions and the practical effects of the compliance measures. Google's President for Global Affairs, Kent Walker, argued that the application of the Digital Markets Regulation forces the company to remove real-time features from Search, such as the immediate display of prices and availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants, and to reduce some of the safety mechanisms used in Google Play.

"This enforcement of the Digital Markets Regulation continues to affect products used daily. To comply, we are forced to remove real-time Search features valued by European users, such as instant prices and direct availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants, and to reduce safety protections in Google Play," Walker stated.

He claimed that the outcome does not represent fair competition, describing it as a degradation of products driven by a small group of complainants pursuing their own interests. According to Google, the effects are felt by European companies and consumers.

Google's Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for EU Institutions, Karen Massin, argued that the way the regulation is applied produces the opposite effect of what is intended. She stated that the required changes for Search could eliminate direct and real-time responses and could revert to a presentation primarily based on links, which, in her opinion, would reduce the utility of the service for consumers and the visibility of local companies.

Massin also argued that opening Google Play to external channels could diminish some of the protections against malware and fraud and stated that the company's engineers are delaying the launch of products in Europe to manage compliance requirements.

"The Digital Markets Regulation was designed to increase available options and fair competition in Europe, but its application, influenced by a small group of complainants pursuing their own interests, produces the opposite effect," Massin wrote. She called for the continuation of a regulatory dialogue based on evidence, safety, and value offered to users.

The Commission rejects the position that the application of the regulation hinders innovation for American companies. The Commission's spokesperson for digital affairs, Thomas Regnier, stated that the issue identified by the investigation was the behavior of access controllers that prevented European companies from competing and innovating under fair conditions.

"Through these fines, we are asking Google to comply with the Digital Markets Regulation and to ensure fair competition conditions, at least in the European Union," Regnier stated.

The Commission confirmed that Google and the United States administration were informed before the announcement of the sanctions, without specifying the level at which the contacts took place. The institution stated that the future EU-U.S. digital dialogue could cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and semiconductor supply chains, but not the negotiation or suspension of European digital legislation.

Google has begun testing changes in the presentation of shopping, hotel, flight, advertising, and sports results services. The company has also submitted proposals for implementing the decision in the AI Overviews and AI Mode case, and the Commission will evaluate whether the solutions eliminate the identified preferential treatment.

In the case of Google Play, the company has already modified some of the conditions applied to developers promoting external offers. The Commission considers these changes a progress, but will verify whether the fees, the duration of their application, and the technical and contractual conditions are compatible with the decisions.

Google has 60 days to address the two violations. In the absence of compliance, the Commission may impose periodic fines of up to 5% of the company's total global revenue.

The Digital Markets Regulation applies to large platforms designated as access controllers for services that represent important connection points between companies and users. Google can contest the two decisions before the courts of the European Union.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news-articles/comisia-spune-ca-a-avut-pana-la-90-de-intalniri-cu-google-inaintea-amenzii-dma-iar-compania-acuza-degradarea-serviciilor