Google Submits New Proposal to Avoid EU Antitrust Fine Amid DMA Scrutiny
BRUSSELS, July 2— Google has submitted a revised proposal to the European Commission aimed at avoiding further antitrust penalties under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to a document obtained by Reuters.
The latest proposal comes just days before a critical workshop scheduled for July 7–8 in Brussels, where Google is set to meet with EU regulators and rival companies to discuss ongoing concerns over its market dominance in search results.
The U.S. tech giant, owned by Alphabet Inc., has been under increasing scrutiny after the European Commission charged it in March with unfairly favoring its services—including Google Shopping, Google Hotels, and Google Flights—over competing platforms.
As part of its compliance efforts, Google had earlier proposed placing a special “vertical search service” (VSS) box at the top of its search results, which would include links to specialized search engines and platforms for hotels, airlines, restaurants, and transport services.
However, in a newly surfaced alternative proposal referred to as “Option B,” Google suggests an additional box beneath the VSS section containing free links to direct suppliers such as hotels, airlines, and travel service providers. The document suggests that Google would arrange and present supplier information in a manner that does not promote any other Google-owned service.
“Option B provides suppliers opportunities while not creating a box that can be characterized as a Google VSS,” the document stated.
A Google spokesperson said the company has made “hundreds of alterations” to its products to comply with the DMA. However, the spokesperson also expressed concern about the unintended consequences of the regulation.
“While we strive for compliance, we remain genuinely concerned about some of the real-world consequences of the DMA, which are leading to worse online products and experiences for Europeans,” the spokesperson added.
Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act—a sweeping regulation designed to curb the power of Big Tech and promote competition—Google could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue if found in violation of the rules.
The upcoming July workshop is expected to be a pivotal moment in the ongoing negotiations, as regulators weigh Google’s proposals against complaints from smaller competitors demanding a more level playing field.