The Digital Markets Act and Google Shopping: a merchant’s guide
What the DMA requires of Google, what the Commission decided in July 2026, and how it is reshaping product search across the EEA.
- The DMA bars Google from favouring its own services in search results.
- On 23 July 2026 the Commission fined Google 460 million € for self-preferencing in Search.
- Merchants who rely on organic product visibility should review their EEA strategy.
What the DMA is
- DEFINITION Digital Markets Act (DMA)
- An EU regulation that sets obligations for the largest digital platforms, called gatekeepers, to keep their markets fair and open.
The European Commission designated Google as a gatekeeper in September 2023, and the obligations have applied since March 2024. Google Search is one of the services covered.
How we got here
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| June 2017 | The Commission fines Google 2,42 billion € for favouring its own comparison shopping service |
| September 2017 | Google opens Shopping ads to third-party comparison services (CSSs) |
| September 2023 | Google is designated a gatekeeper under the DMA |
| March 2024 | DMA obligations apply. The Commission opens a non-compliance investigation into Google Search |
| March 2025 | Preliminary findings: Google Search treats Google’s own services more favourably |
| 23 July 2026 | The Commission fines Google 460 million € for self-preferencing in Search |
The rule that matters for Shopping
The DMA bans gatekeepers from ranking their own products and services more favourably than similar services from third parties. Ranking must be transparent, fair and non-discriminatory. For search, that means Google’s own shopping results can’t be given better placement than comparison services.
In its preliminary findings, the Commission pointed to shopping, hotel, transport, financial and sports results that were shown at the top of the page or in dedicated spaces with richer formatting than rival services.
The question is no longer whether comparison services get space in Google’s results, but how much.
The July 2026 decision
The Commission found that Google did not comply with the self-preferencing ban and gave it 60 days to comply, under the threat of periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of its average daily worldwide turnover per day. A separate €430 million fine concerned steering rules on Google Play.
What has changed in search
Google has tested and rolled out several changes to its EEA results, including units that give comparison services more prominent placement. For products, the biggest visible change is a unit of comparison sites replacing organic product carousels.
| Before the DMA | Under the DMA | |
|---|---|---|
| Google’s own shopping units | Prominent placement | Can’t be favoured |
| Comparison services | Lower in the page | Dedicated space in results |
| Merchant visibility | Mostly through Google | Also through comparison sites |
Who is affected
- Merchants that sell in any EEA market and rely on organic product visibility.
- Merchants that run Shopping ads, whose ads may appear next to new comparison units.
- Comparison services, which gain space but also compete with each other for it.
The UK and Switzerland are outside the EEA. The DMA doesn’t apply there, although the UK has its own digital markets regime.
What merchants should do
- Track your EEA visibility. Watch organic product clicks market by market for changes.
- Diversify your presence. Make sure your products appear on comparison sites, not just in Google’s own units.
- Review your CSS setup. Shopping ads placed through a CSS partner can run at a lower effective CPC.
- Keep product data clean. Comparison sites build their listings from your feed.
What makes a gatekeeper
A company is presumed to be a gatekeeper when it provides a core platform service in at least three EU countries and meets thresholds on size and reach.
| Criterion | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Size | EU turnover of at least 7,5 billion € in each of the last three years, or a market value of at least 75 billion € |
| End users | At least 45 million monthly active end users in the EU |
| Business users | At least 10.000 yearly active business users in the EU |
| Duration | User thresholds met in each of the last three years |
What non-compliance can cost
| Penalty | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Fine for non-compliance | Up to 10% of total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year |
| Fine for repeated non-compliance | Up to 20% of total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year |
| Periodic penalty payments | Up to 5% of average daily worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, per day |
The 460 million € fine is far below those ceilings, but the periodic penalties attached to the compliance deadline give the decision its real weight.
Other DMA rules that touch search
- Gatekeepers must not combine personal data across services without consent.
- Search engines must share anonymised ranking, query, click and view data with rival search engines on fair terms.
- Business users must be able to access the data generated on the platform about their own products and customers.
Organic results and Shopping ads
The self-preferencing rules focus on how Google ranks and displays results. Paid Shopping ads already run through the CSS programme, where independent comparison services compete in the same auction. So far, the visible changes for merchants are in the organic product space, although in July 2026 the Commission said it was also assessing changes to how Google shows Shopping ads, which Google had proposed and begun testing.
What to watch next
- How Google’s compliance measures change EEA search layouts over the coming months.
- Whether the Commission accepts those measures or opens further proceedings.
- Any appeal by Google in the EU courts.
- Similar rules in other markets, such as the UK’s digital markets regime.
In the EEA, being listed on comparison sites is becoming part of being visible on Google.
Quick answers
Does the DMA apply in the UK?
No. The DMA is EU law and applies in the EEA. The UK has its own digital markets regime.
Does it affect Shopping ads?
Paid Shopping ads keep running through CSS partners, and the September changes concern organic product results. But in July 2026 the Commission said it was also assessing changes to how Google shows Shopping ads, which Google had proposed and begun testing.
Do I need to do anything to comply?
No. The obligations apply to Google, not to merchants. But the changes can affect your visibility.
Will Google appeal?
Google can challenge the decision in the EU courts, but it still has to comply within the deadline.
Will more changes come?
Likely. The Commission will assess Google’s compliance measures, and search layouts may keep changing.
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Sources: European Commission (DMA decisions of 23 July 2026, press release IP/26/1670), European Commission (preliminary findings of 19 March 2025, press release IP/25/811), European Commission (investigation opened on 25 March 2024, press release IP/24/1689), European Commission (gatekeeper designations of 6 September 2023, press release IP/23/4328), European Commission (press release IP/17/1784), Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/1925), Google Search Central (aggregator unit), UK Competition and Markets Authority (Google’s strategic market status in search, October 2025).
