Europe’s highest court has upheld a €4.1 billion ($4.67 billion) antitrust fine against Google related to its Android operating system. The Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed Google’s appeal against the General Court’s judgment, confirming the financial penalty imposed for the company’s abuse of its dominant position in the market.
The fine was originally imposed by the European Commission in 2018 after a 2016 investigation found that Google forced mobile network operators to pre-install its apps, including Chrome and its search service, as the default on devices sold in Europe. With Google holding over 80% market share in several European countries, this practice effectively limited competition, establishing a near-monopoly in the search market.
The original fine of €4.34 billion was later reduced to €4.1 billion, taking into account the duration and gravity of the infringement. According to the Commission, the fine was based on Google’s revenue from search advertising on Android in the European Economic Area. The ruling required Google to cease its illegal conduct within 90 days.
The Court stated that the General Court did not err in law regarding its assessment of the anticompetitive effects of Google’s agreements related to Android. It also affirmed that the rationale for the fine was sound.
A recommendation from the European Court of Justice’s advocate general a year prior indicated that Google’s appeal was likely to be dismissed. In addition to this case, Google was fined €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) in 2017 over its shopping search monopoly, losing its final appeal in that case in 2024.
Google continues to contend with antitrust issues in the EU under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European Commission has accused the company of favoring its own search services and restricting app developers from using alternative payment options. In addition, Google is under investigation for potentially unfairly demoting certain news results.
