Daijiworld Media Network – Brussels
Brussels, Jul 2: Google has lost its long-running legal battle against a €4.1 billion ($4.7 billion) European Union antitrust fine after the bloc's highest court upheld the penalty, ruling that the tech giant abused its dominant position through the Android operating system.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Thursday dismissed the appeal filed by Google and its parent company, Alphabet, confirming an earlier ruling by the EU's General Court that largely upheld the European Commission's findings.
"The appeal brought by Google and its parent company Alphabet against the judgment of the General Court is dismissed, thereby confirming the penalty imposed for Google Search's abuse of a dominant position in the context of the Android operating system," the court said in a statement.
The decision marks a major victory for the European Commission, which first imposed the record fine in 2018 after concluding that Google had engaged in anti-competitive practices to strengthen the dominance of its search engine.
The Commission found that Google required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Google Search app and Chrome browser as a condition for licensing the Play Store. It also alleged that the company offered financial incentives to certain manufacturers and mobile operators to exclusively pre-install Google Search, while restricting device makers from using alternative versions of Android not approved by Google.
In 2022, the EU's General Court largely upheld the Commission's findings but reduced the fine from €4.3 billion to €4.1 billion, citing insufficient evidence on one aspect of the case.
Responding to Thursday's ruling, Google said the judgment failed to recognise the company's investment in keeping Android "open, interoperable and free."
"We adapted our agreements to comply with the initial decision back in 2018 and remain focused on continued innovation and openness for our users, partners and developers," the company said.
The ruling is expected to strengthen the legal position of businesses seeking damages over Google's alleged anti-competitive conduct.
FairSearch, one of the complainants that initiated the case in 2013, described the verdict as "an important victory" against Google's practices in the mobile market.
The Android case was one of several landmark antitrust investigations launched under former EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager as Brussels intensified scrutiny of major technology companies.
Google continues to face regulatory pressure in Europe under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), including investigations into its search business, Play Store policies and treatment of rival digital services.