EU rules are killing Google Maps: here's why

Europe wanted to punish tech giants and in the end it punished its own citizens. The Digital Markets Act , designed to protect users from digital monopolies , has transformed Google Maps into a nightmare of endless clicks. Now Google raises the white flag and warns: “ Enough, you are ruining everything .”

Google Maps Becomes Impossible: EU Laws Are to Blame

Europe wanted to rein in tech giants with the DMA , but the plan is failing. A study by the ITIF think tank, published this week, shows that the law is making things worse, not better.

European users are now struggling to use services like Google Maps , as technological innovation slows. Google and other tech companies are protesting, the law is harming the very people it was meant to protect.

Surely many have noticed. Searching for a restaurant on Google and clicking directly on Maps does not work anymore. Now you have to go through an absurd path: go through aggregators, navigate through confusing menus, click three times more.

Before, you just had to search for “pizzeria near me”, click on Maps, and you would arrive at your destination. Today, for the same search (“pizzeria near me”), you have to click on an aggregator, choose from confusing options, maybe you arrive on Maps, and in the meantime you are already lost…

William Echikson, an analyst at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, puts it bluntly from Brussels: “ It has become frustrating to use everyday digital services .” Jessica Stegrud, a former MEP, doesn’t mince words, comparing the DMA to a “ bureaucratic behemoth ” full of unnecessary obstacles.

European users have become prisoners of a system that “protects” them, but has made their lives impossible.

Google issues ultimatum to Europe

On Tuesday, July 1, Google openly threatened European regulators. “ We are sincerely concerned about the tangible consequences of the DMA, which lead to lower-quality products and online experiences for European users ,” the Mountain View company said.

The damage goes beyond Google Maps . Apple Intelligence arrived in the US in June 2024, but in Europe users had to wait until April 2025. That’s almost a year late. The reason? DMA complications, according to Apple. Meta delayed Threads by five months in Europe for the same reason. The pattern is clear: Europe gets everything late, in poorer quality, or not at all.

The paradox of “protected” SMEs, beyond Google Maps

Henrique Schneider, former chief economist of the Swiss Federation of SMEs, reveals the most absurd paradox: “ Just as the GDPR favored large tech companies while damaging others, the DMA creates regulatory costs that erect barriers for startups .”

In practice, a law to protect small businesses is killing small businesses. European startups, already struggling against American and Chinese ones, now have to fight their own bureaucracy.

The ITIF study estimates potential losses of 114 billion euros for European services. This equates to 1,122 euros of lost productivity for each worker. For comparison, this is as if each European paid an annual tax of over a thousand euros for the privilege of using the Internet worse than others.

In return, Apple now has to expose sensitive data such as notifications and Wi-Fi history to third-party developers to comply with DMA . Researchers at the University of Cambridge warn: “ Mandatory interoperability significantly increases the attack surface at all levels .” In order to “protect” users, Europe is exposing them to more hacking risks.

Google has stopped being diplomatic. The message to European regulators is clear: “ You are ruining the experience for millions of people in the name of principles that don’t work .” The implicit threat? If Europe continues like this, Big G could deliberately worsen its services or withdraw from some markets altogether.

Europe that isolates itself

The DMA was supposed to make Europe more competitive in digital. Instead, it is isolating it. While the US and China race towards AI innovation, Europe discusses bureaucracy. The end result? European citizens are paying the consequences of an ideological war between Brussels and Silicon Valley.

If the trend continues, Europe will become the digital museum of the world. A place where everything works worse, arrives late and costs more, but at least it is regulated.