The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU, Juliane Kokott, has ruled in favor of upholding the €4.12 billion fine imposed by the European Commission on Google. The recommendation is not binding, but it is usually followed by the highest European court, which means the search engine will have to write a large check.
The standoff turns to Brussels' advantage
The case dates back to 2018. Brussels then ruled that Google had indeed abused Android's dominant position in the smartphone sector, which allowed the company to exclude competitors. In January, it argued its case before the Court of Justice of the EU, claiming to have been "punished" for its innovation. Google assures: competition has not been hindered in Europe.
This was not at all the opinion of the regulator, which, after months of investigation, had established that Google was using its operating system to force manufacturers to install the search engine, its Chrome browser, and the Play Store on their Android devices. These contracts prevent access to alternative OSes and lock out related markets, such as search and online advertising.
For Google, this new sanction is just another one. Over the past ten years, the Commission has imposed fines worth nearly €8 billion on the company, and it's far from over: an investigation launched in 2023 into the group's advertising technologies is currently being finalized.
It remains to be seen how this news will be received on the other side of the Atlantic. Donald Trump clearly has Europe in his sights, as the two blocs are in the midst of trade negotiations.
Source: Financial Times
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