The move comes months after the European Commission accused Google of breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a sweeping regulation introduced to curb the dominance of major tech platforms.
EU Scrutiny of Google’s Practices
In March, Brussels charged Google with two violations of the DMA, alleging that the company restricted app developers from informing users about cheaper offers outside its Play Store, while also favoring its own vertical services such as Google Flights.
Regulators said Google’s current model effectively “technically prevents” developers from steering consumers toward external channels and criticized the company’s service fees as excessive compared to the value of customer acquisition.
If found guilty, Google faces penalties of up to 10% of its annual global revenue. The company has already paid more than €8 billion ($9.3 billion) in antitrust fines from previous EU cases over the past decade.
Google’s Response and Program Updates
In a blog post, Clare Kelly, Google’s Senior Competition Counsel for EMEA, confirmed that the company would expand its External Offers Program for Android developers in Europe.
“While we still have concerns that these changes could expose Android users to harmful content and make the app experience worse, we’re updating our External Offers Program for the EU with revised fees and more options for Android developers, following DMA discussions with the European Commission,” Kelly wrote.
The update is expected to give developers more flexibility in directing customers outside the Play Store for subscriptions and other offers, while reducing associated charges.
A High-Stakes Test for the DMA
The case against Google is seen as an early test of the EU’s DMA, which came into effect in 2023 to address concerns that a handful of digital “gatekeepers” — including Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft — exert excessive control over markets.
For app developers and consumers, the new rules could reshape digital commerce in Europe by lowering fees and increasing transparency. For Google, however, compliance with the DMA may mean loosening its grip on a lucrative stream of Play Store revenue.
With the investigation ongoing, the Commission will continue to assess whether Google’s proposed changes go far enough. A ruling could set a precedent for how aggressively Europe enforces its digital competition framework.