By Nicholas Walter | Updated: 10 September 2024
Bad News for Tech Behemoth as Google Loses Fight Against $2.7 Billion EU Antitrust Fine.
Alphabet’s Google lost its appeal on Tuesday against a fine of $2.7 billion (EUR 2.42 billion) imposed seven years ago by EU antitrust regulators. The fine was one of three substantial penalties imposed on the corporation for different anti-competitive actions.
The most widely used search engine on the internet was penalized by the European Commission in 2017 for unfairly utilizing its price comparison service to outbid smaller competitors in Europe.
In 2021, a lower tribunal upheld the EU competition enforcer’s ruling, which prompted Google to file an appeal with the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.
The CJEU judges pointed out that abusive exploitation of a dominant position is sanctioned by EU legislation, not the presence of the position itself.
“In particular, the conduct of undertakings in a dominant position that has the effect of hindering competition on the merits and is thus likely to cause harm to individual undertakings and consumers is prohibited,” they stated.
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Over the past ten years, Google has paid around Rs. 76,436 crore (or EUR 8.25 billion) in fines related to EU antitrust violations. It is currently awaiting the results of two rulings that it has contested over its Android mobile operating system and AdSense advertising business.
In addition, it is defending against EU antitrust charges that were brought last year and may require it to surrender a portion of its profitable adtech company due to accusations by regulators that it preferred its own advertising services.
Google and Alphabet v. Commission (Google Shopping) is the case number in C-48/22 P.
