A marketplace or search engine shapes a customer’s choice before the customer reaches the seller; the route is part of the product.
In July 2026, the European Commission issued two decisions finding that Google had failed to comply with the Digital Markets Act. It fined the company €460 million over the prominence given to its own services in Search, and €430 million over restrictions on app developers’ ability to tell users about and direct them to alternative offers, including cheaper ways to pay outside Google Play.
The Commission said Google must end the non-compliance. Its decision recognises that developers can be charged a fee for facilitating a new customer’s initial acquisition through Google Play, while finding that the level and duration of Google’s steering-related fees went beyond what the DMA permits. The decisions concern the EU regime; they do not automatically set the terms for every country or store.
Search ranking decides who gets considered
When a search engine places its own shopping, hotel, transport or sports services more prominently, users may see those offers before comparable third-party results. The Commission found that Google favoured its services through prominent placement, enhanced visuals and filters. That changes the competitive starting point even when other providers remain technically available.
People can compare the underlying provider and terms rather than treating the first module as the only answer. Publishers and businesses can track how much traffic comes from different routes, and whether a ranking change shifts the audience they can reach. Those measures make visibility changes easier to identify and discuss.
An app should be allowed to explain its prices
The Play decision focuses on what developers may tell customers and which purchase routes they may offer. If a developer cannot freely explain a web offer or alternative app store, the customer may never learn that another route exists. Rules about payment are therefore also rules about which choices can be presented inside an app.
For consumers, compare the in-app price with the provider’s own website when the service offers both, and check that the subscription, renewal and support terms match. For developers, record platform fees and restrictions alongside conversion and support costs. A lower outside price is useful only when its billing and cancellation terms are clear too.
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