Google loses appeal against €2.42b EU antitrust fine

Alphabet’s Google has lost its appeal against a 2.42 billion euro ($2.7 billion) fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators in 2017.

The European Commission penalised Google for abusing its dominance by favouring its own price comparison shopping service over smaller European competitors.

A lower tribunal upheld the fine in 2021, leading Google to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The CJEU ruled that while dominance isn’t illegal, exploiting it to hinder competition is prohibited.

Google has accumulated 8.25 billion euros in EU antitrust fines over the past decade and faces additional legal battles related to its Android operating system, AdSense, and adtech business.

Attribution: Reuters

Subediting: M. S. Salama