EU Regulators to Rule Google Favored Own Search Services

European Union regulators are anticipated to rule next week that Google illegally favored its own specialized services, including shopping and travel, over rivals in search results. This decision, expected from the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), cites internal Commission documents and individuals familiar with the matter, as reported by the Financial Times. The core of the case examines how Google's search engine displays its proprietary vertical services in comparison to competing third-party services, particularly concerning valuable commercial search real estate.

The potential ruling could significantly impact the visibility of comparison sites, travel platforms, shopping services, and other businesses that rely on organic traffic for customer acquisition. Google's current practices influence which businesses users encounter first in high-intent searches, and any mandated changes could create new opportunities for competitors in these commercial categories. The Commission is also expected to impose fines on Google amounting to hundreds of millions of euros across two separate DMA decisions. Furthermore, Google could face daily penalties if it fails to comply with certain aspects of the orders within a 60-day timeframe.

In addition to search result prioritization, the European Commission is also deliberating on whether Google should be compelled to grant third-party search engines access to crucial search data. This data includes information on ranking, queries, clicks, and views. Google has raised objections to this, arguing that sharing such data would jeopardize user privacy and extend beyond the Commission's jurisdictional authority. The Commission is also considering a related issue: whether Google should provide third-party AI providers with access to the same features currently available to its own AI, Gemini.