Google’s lengthy legal battle with the European Union culminated in a final decision on Tuesday, as the European Union’s Court of Justice upheld a lower court’s ruling against the tech giant. The court dismissed Google’s appeal regarding a 2.4 billion euro ($2.7 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission for favoring its own shopping recommendations in search results over competitors, a violation of antitrust laws.
The initial decision by the European Commission in 2017 accused Google of unfairly promoting its Google Shopping service, leading to detrimental effects on rival businesses. This penalty was part of a series of multibillion-euro fines levied by the EU on Google as part of efforts to regulate the tech industry’s practices.
Despite its disappointment with the court’s decision, Google stated that it had made adjustments in 2017 to comply with the Commission’s requirements to treat competitors equally, implementing auctions for shopping search listings. The company emphasized the success of its approach over the years, benefiting numerous comparison shopping services.
While Google continued to appeal the decision in court, the EU General Court and later the Court of Justice upheld the penalty, highlighting the importance of competition laws in digital markets, according to European consumer group BEUC.
This legal battle is one of several faced by Google, including appeals related to antitrust fines concerning its Android operating system and AdSense advertising platform. These cases have set a precedent for global regulators to scrutinize Big Tech companies, with the EU initiating more investigations and drafting stricter laws for digital platforms and artificial intelligence regulation.
Google’s challenges extend beyond the EU, as the U.S. Department of Justice recently began an antitrust trial accusing the company of monopolizing the digital advertising industry. In the UK, competition regulators have also accused Google of abusing its dominance in ad tech, aligning with the EU’s ongoing investigations into the company’s practices.
