EU Court Orders Google to Pay €2.4 Billion Fine for Abuse of Market Power
Europe’s top court has ruled that Google must pay a €2.4 billion fine for misusing its dominant position in the shopping comparison market. This fine was first imposed by the European Commission in 2017 and was the largest penalty ever at the time, though it has since been surpassed by another fine against Google.
Google had appealed the decision, but the European Court of Justice (ECJ) upheld the fine, dismissing Google’s appeal completely. The ruling marks the end of a long legal battle that began when British company Foundem filed a complaint back in 2009, before the UK left the EU.
The European Commission had found that Google unfairly promoted its own shopping services over competitors in search results. Shopping comparison site Kelkoo praised the ruling as a victory for fair competition and consumer choice.
In response, Google expressed disappointment but noted that it had already made changes to comply with the Commission’s decision in 2017. The company emphasized that its new approach has been successful for over seven years.
Anne Witt, a law professor, called the ruling “significant” for Google, which has exhausted all its legal options in this case. She also pointed out that Google faces additional legal challenges, including a U.S. government case and ongoing EU investigations into its ad tech practices.
The fine against Google is part of a series of antitrust actions by the EU, which has previously fined Google €8.2 billion for various anti-competitive practices. This includes fines for manipulating search results, promoting its own apps on Android, and blocking ads from rival search engines.
For more information on this story and related EU decisions, you can check out BBC’s detailed coverage.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw3e1pn741o