Wired reports:

The European Commission has levied a $1 billion penalty against Google over alleged competition law violations.

An EC investigation found that Google had abused its dominance in the European Union’s search and app store markets to funnel people toward its own apps and services, in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

The body has ordered Google to refrain from giving preferential treatment to its own services—such as shopping, accommodations, transport, and flights—in search rankings. Google must also allow app developers to communicate and transact with users outside the Play Store, where it takes a commission on sales.

“The best products should succeed because they’re better, not because they’re owned by the company running the search engine,” says Teresa Ribera, an executive vice president at the EC. “European consumers have a right to be told by app developers where to sign up to the best offers, even when the app store owner does not get a cut.” [Continue reading…]