European Commission is right to prevent Google’s anti-steering and self-preferencing practices

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) supports the decisions published today by the European Commission which find that Google has breached the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by engaging in anti-steering and self-preferencing practices.

Google must immediately come forward with fully compliant solutions that stop favouring its own services in Google Search (self-preferencing). It must also eliminate unnecessary barriers for app developers to offer subscriptions to Android device users outside the Google Play Store (anti-steering). If the company fails to do so, the Commission should issue tougher sanctions.

Google’s conduct has likely reduced choice for consumers in the tech giant’s search engine and may have resulted in higher-priced subscriptions because of fees associated with going through the Play Store.

Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, commented:

“Google has limited choice for consumers and undermined fair competition in digital markets. It was high time for the Commission to enforce the law. We expect Google to immediately present the Commission with solutions that comply with the EU’s digital market rules. If Google fails to comply, the Commission should not hesitate to impose even harder sanctions. Otherwise, it is consumers and other businesses in digital markets who end up paying the price of Google’s illegal behaviour.”