EU · ongoing · ~6 min read
EU DMA compliance — Google Search
2024–present · general search, search advertising, vertical search
Google Search is under Europe's Digital Markets Act, and Brussels is still checking whether results and data practices comply. That supervision was ongoing in 2026 and is not the American search appeal.
The story
The DMA applies forward-looking rules to designated search engines.
Google changed some European screens and units. The Commission has not issued an all-clear for Search.
Other Google cases — Shopping, Android, ad tech, the US default case — are different documents.
Why it matters
European search pages are where compliance shows up.
Vertical sites that live off Google traffic are the businesses watching ranking.
What was claimed
Gatekeeper duties on self-preferencing and data apply to Search.
Compliance is not presumed from a redesign.
The other side
Google says its European changes meet the DMA and that further dictates would hurt search quality.
What it means for you
EU users may see choice screens Americans do not.
A US appellate ruling will not repeal the DMA.
Bottom line
EU DMA supervision of Google Search is still live. It is not the US case and not a closed fine.
Timeline
2023
Search designated
The Commission listed Google Search as a core platform service. Duties applied on the DMA timetable.
2024–2026
Supervision continues
Choice screens, vertical units, and data combination stayed under review. Specific fines in other Google or Apple DMA files do not close this one.
Key dates
- Gatekeeper designation
- September 2023
- Compliance supervision
- 2024–2026
Formal snapshot
Summary: Google is a DMA gatekeeper for Search. The Commission is still supervising self-preferencing, data use, and choice screens, separate from the US monopolization appeal.
Regulator / plaintiff argument: A gatekeeper search engine may not preference its own verticals or combine data in ways the DMA forbids, and it must honor choice-screen and data-access duties.
Outcome: Designation is in force. Non-compliance work continued through 2026 alongside other Google DMA files. This is not the 2017 Shopping fine and not the US D.C. Circuit appeal.
Conduct tags
Laws referenced
- Digital Markets Act — Reg. (EU) 2022/1925
Companies
Sources
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