Regulators in Europe are preparing to declare that Google unfairly promoted its own shopping and travel services in search results. The decision could force major changes to how rival platforms appear in high-value queries.
European Union regulators are poised to announce that Google unlawfully prioritized its own shopping, travel, and specialized services over competitors in search results, according to sources and internal European Commission documents cited by the Financial Times.
The anticipated decision, expected next week under the Digital Markets Act, targets how Google displays its vertical services compared to rival offerings. If enforced, the ruling could reshape visibility for comparison sites, travel platforms, and shopping services competing for organic search traffic.
Industry observers note that any mandated changes would directly impact which businesses users encounter first during high-intent searches, potentially opening new opportunities for competitors in lucrative commercial categories.
The Commission is also weighing whether Google must provide third-party search engines with access to key search data, including ranking, query, click, and view information. Google has argued that such data sharing would compromise user privacy and exceed the Commission’s regulatory authority.
Additionally, regulators are considering if third-party AI providers should receive access to the same features available to Google Gemini, further expanding the scope of the decision.
Financial penalties are expected to add pressure: Google could face fines totaling hundreds of millions of euros across two Digital Markets Act cases, with the possibility of daily penalties if it fails to comply within 60 days of the order.
These developments follow a series of recent changes to Google’s products, including a major visual overhaul of Google Images. For example, a recent update introduced a dynamic, personalized image gallery and new browsing features for U.S. desktop users, reflecting the company’s ongoing efforts to adapt its platforms amid regulatory and competitive pressures.
Founded in 1998, Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. and remains the world’s dominant search engine, handling over 90% of global search queries. The company reported $307 billion in revenue for 2025, with its search and advertising businesses accounting for the majority of earnings. Alphabet employs more than 190,000 people worldwide and continues to face regulatory scrutiny in multiple regions, including ongoing antitrust investigations in the United States and Europe.
