Google loses fight against $2.7 billion EU antitrust fine

Alphabet’s Google lost its appeal on Tuesday against a €2.42 billion ($2.7 billion) fine imposed by EU antitrust regulators seven years ago. The fine is one of three major penalties levied against the company for anti-competitive practices.

In 2017, the European Commission fined Google for unfairly using its price comparison shopping service to gain an advantage over smaller European competitors. Google’s appeal followed a 2021 decision by a lower tribunal that upheld the EU’s ruling.

Judges from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) emphasized that EU law does not penalize dominant market positions but prohibits the abuse of such positions. They stated that “conduct by companies in dominant positions that hinders competition and harms both competitors and consumers is prohibited.”

Over the past decade, Google has accumulated €8.25 billion in EU antitrust fines. It is currently challenging rulings involving its Android operating system and AdSense advertising platform, and is awaiting the outcomes. The company is also contesting new EU antitrust charges from last year, which could force it to sell part of its advertising technology business, after accusations of favoring its own services.

The case is titled C-48/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission (Google Shopping).