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The European Union’s top court on Tuesday upheld a fine of €2.42 billion ($2.7 billion) imposed on Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) for abuse of its dominant position by favouring its own comparison shopping service.
In 2017, the Commission accused Google for favouring its own comparison shopping service, Google Shopping, in search results, disadvantaging competitors.
A lower tribunal had endorsed the EU competition enforcer’s decision in 2021, prompting Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) to appeal to the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union.
“In the light of the characteristics of the market and the specific circumstances of the case, Google’s conduct was discriminatory and did not fall within the scope of competition on the merits,” judges said, dismissing an appeal by the tech giant and its parent company Alphabet.
European consumer group BEUC hailed the court’s decision, saying it is a confirmation that “EU competition law remains highly relevant in digital markets. Competition law must continue to strictly apply to Big Tech’s online exploitation of consumer behaviour.”
“Today’s Court of Justice ruling is crucially important for Europe’s consumers. The Court has confirmed that Google cannot unfairly deny European consumers access to full and unbiased online information about where to get the best deals,” BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna said.
Google is still fighting two other EU penalties, including a record €4.3 billion antitrust fine for its Google Android operating system.
Separately, Europe’s top court on Tuesday ruled against Apple (AAPL) in the tech giant’s 10-year court battle over its tax affairs in Ireland.