Google Faces Record $4 Billion Fine In Europe After Losing Android Antitrust Appeal

TOPLINE:

Google may have to pay a record €4.125 billion ($4.12 billion) fine to the European Union in an antitrust case linked to its Android operating system for smartphones after losing a court appeal on Wednesday, a ruling that is likely to bolster the bloc’s ability to crackdown on big tech companies.

KEY FACTS:

The European Court of Justice’s General Court ruled to uphold the EU executive commission’s 2018 decision to penalize Google, only slightly reducing the fine from €4.34 billion to €4.125 billion as its reasoning differed “in certain respects” to the commission’s.

The court’s ruling states Google “imposed unlawful restrictions” on makers of Android smartphones “in order to consolidate the dominant position of its search engine.”

The court’s ruling largely aligns with the European Commission’s 2018 ruling that tech giant forced Android device manufacturers to agree to preinstall Google Search, Google Play Store and not use unlicensed versions of the operating system developed by third parties.

The €4.125 billion fine is…

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