Google gets EU extension in DMA compliance probe

The European Commission granted Google additional time to respond to concerns in its Digital Markets Act investigation, after concluding that the company's initial proposals were not strong enough. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Google is still working with EU officials to defend its position and propose a remedy, but said the current solution does not yet adequately address the concerns in the case.

The investigation concerns alleged breaches of the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, an EU law adopted in 2022 to limit the market power of large technology platforms. The Commission has already filed charges against Google and is preparing a final decision that could include financial penalties.

The European Commission wants Google to let users separate services including Google Search, YouTube and Chrome, fix shortcomings identified in its app store, and stop favoring its own products in search results. Regnier said the Commission's priority is to secure real changes in market behavior rather than collect fines, but added that if no adequate solution emerges, the Commission will have to move to the next stages of the process.