Google loses its final EU court appeal in antitrust shopping case, to pay €2.4 billion as fine

Google has lost its final legal appeal against the European Union in a long-running antitrust case, resulting in a €2.4 billion fine. The EU’s Court of Justice upheld an earlier ruling that found the tech giant guilty of giving its Google Shopping service an unfair advantage over competitors.

This decision marks the final conclusion of a case that has been ongoing since 2017, when the European Commission first penalised Google for violating EU competition rules.

The Commission found that Google had unfairly promoted its own shopping service at the expense of rival comparison shopping platforms, harming competition.

This case is one of three significant antitrust penalties the EU has imposed on Google in recent years, as part of its efforts to regulate Big Tech.

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Google expressed disappointment with the court’s decision but pointed out that it had made changes to its practices in 2017 to comply with the EU’s demands. The company introduced an auction system for shopping search listings, allowing competitors to bid for placement alongside Google in search results. Google claims that this solution has generated billions of clicks for over 800 rival comparison services.

However, Google’s legal battles in the EU are not over. The company is still appealing two other major antitrust fines: a €4.125 billion penalty related to its Android mobile operating system and a €1.49 billion fine concerning its AdSense advertising platform.

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In 2022, Google’s appeal in the Android case was rejected, but the AdSense appeal remains undecided.

The outcome of the Google Shopping case has been seen as a victory for consumer rights in Europe. Consumer groups have praised the ruling, saying Google’s practices made it harder for users to access cheaper or better alternatives through competing services. This case, along with other regulatory actions, highlights the growing scrutiny Big Tech faces from both European and US authorities.

Google is now under investigation in the US for monopolising the digital advertising market, and UK regulators have also accused the company of abusing its dominance in ad technology. As these legal challenges continue, it’s clear that regulators are committed to holding tech giants accountable for anti-competitive practices.