EU Court Orders Google to Pay €2.4 Billion Fine
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Google must pay a fine of two point four billion euros for market abuse in its shopping comparison service. This decision, which upheld a 2017 ruling by the European Commission, marks a major defeat for Google, which also faces other antitrust challenges. The ruling could lead to additional compensation claims from parties affected by Google's actions.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that Google must pay a €2.4 billion fine for abusing its market dominance in the shopping comparison sector, a decision first passed by the European Commission in 2017.
Google’s appeal against the fine, which was initiated by a complaint from British firm Foundem in 2009, has been completely dismissed.
The ruling also mandates that Google and its parent company, Alphabet, bear their legal costs and those of the European Commission.
Anne Witt, professor of law at the Augmented Law Institute at EDHEC Business School, emphasized the importance of this judgment.
The decision could open the door to several follow-on actions from parties claiming compensation for losses due to Google's anticompetitive behavior.
In the same context, Google is facing additional legal challenges, including a case from the US government over its ad tech business, and a provisional conclusion by UK regulators accusing Google of anti-competitive practices in online advertising.
The tech giant has amassed a total of €8.2 billion in fines from the European Commission in various antitrust cases over the years.
Google’s appeal against the fine, which was initiated by a complaint from British firm Foundem in 2009, has been completely dismissed.
The ruling also mandates that Google and its parent company, Alphabet, bear their legal costs and those of the European Commission.
Anne Witt, professor of law at the Augmented Law Institute at EDHEC Business School, emphasized the importance of this judgment.
The decision could open the door to several follow-on actions from parties claiming compensation for losses due to Google's anticompetitive behavior.
In the same context, Google is facing additional legal challenges, including a case from the US government over its ad tech business, and a provisional conclusion by UK regulators accusing Google of anti-competitive practices in online advertising.
The tech giant has amassed a total of €8.2 billion in fines from the European Commission in various antitrust cases over the years.
