BRUSSELS, Sept 10 – Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has lost its appeal against a €2.42 billion ($2.7 billion) fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators seven years ago. This fine is part of a series of substantial penalties the company has faced for various anti-competitive practices.
The European Commission initially fined Google in 2017 for using its own price comparison shopping service to unfairly disadvantage smaller European competitors.
A lower court upheld the EU competition authority’s decision in 2021, leading Google to appeal to the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
The CJEU judges highlighted that while EU law does not prohibit holding a dominant market position, it does forbid the abusive exploitation of such a position. They emphasized that conduct by dominant firms that obstructs competition and harms individual companies and consumers is prohibited.
Over the past decade, Google has accrued €8.25 billion in EU antitrust fines. It has contested two other rulings related to its Android mobile operating system and AdSense advertising service, with judgments pending.
Additionally, Google is battling new EU antitrust charges issued last year, which could force the company to divest part of its lucrative adtech business. Regulators have accused Google of favoring its own advertising services over competitors’.
The case is C-48/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission (Google Shopping).
