The European Union (EU) has imposed an additional fine of approximately 1.5 trillion won on Google for violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is analyzed as another devastating blow following the confirmed fine of over 7 trillion won and a strong warning signal to big tech companies worldwide.

On July 23, 2026 (local time), the EU Commission announced that it had imposed a massive additional fine of 890 million euros (approximately 1.5 trillion won) on Google. This measure was taken based on a determination that Google violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a core competition law.

Specifically, the EU imposed a fine of 460 million euros on Google for prioritizing its own services in search engines and 430 million euros for restricting consumers' access to cheaper alternative purchase routes in Google Play. The EU ordered Google to implement corrective measures within 60 days and warned that if it fails to comply, it could impose compliance fines of up to 5% of the company's global total revenue.

Teresa Ribera, Vice President of the EU Commission and Commissioner for Competition, emphasized regarding this measure that "the best products should succeed not simply because they are owned by a company that operates a search engine, but because they are actually better," clearly demonstrating the EU's commitment to creating a fair competition environment in the digital market.

Google immediately objected to this. Google argued that "Europeans will face the removal of real-time search features they enjoy and the dismantling of Google Play safety protections," claiming that the regulation would instead degrade product quality and harm European consumers.

[Photo=Yonhapnews]

The imposition of this fine has led to international repercussions beyond simple corporate regulation. Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), strongly criticized the EU for taking an aggressive approach by targeting American tech companies. He particularly noted that the Google fine "exceeds 2% of the EU budget," pointing out that this represents a contribution level greater than many EU member states, raising the possibility of trade conflict between the U.S. and EU.

This is not the first time the EU has imposed substantial fines on Google. In 2018, Google was fined 4.343 billion euros (approximately 7.67 trillion won) for abuse of its dominant position related to the Android operating system (OS), and following eight years of litigation, it recently lost in the European Court of Justice (ECJ), with the fine becoming final. This suggests that the EU is demonstrating consistent and strong regulatory will against the abuse of market dominance by big tech companies designated as "gatekeepers."

The EU's regulation of big tech is also creating cracks in its relationship with the United States, known as the transatlantic alliance, while introducing new tensions into the international trade order. As the European Union tightens its grip on big tech companies while emphasizing fairness in the digital market, the conflict with the U.S. government, which advocates for its own companies, is expected to become a major variable in the future international economic and diplomatic landscape.

The imposition of trillion-won-level fines on Google is evaluated as another clear declaration of the EU's strong will to create a fair competition environment in the digital market against the abuse of market dominance by big tech companies worldwide. How Google will implement corrective measures within 60 days and whether the strong objection from the U.S. government will escalate into a new trade conflict between the transatlantic allies are expected to be important variables in determining the future of the global IT industry and international trade relations.