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when The European Union hits Google with a huge fine Back in 2018, the tech company was really hoping it would never have to pay. After eight years of appeal, it turned out that the company was unlucky and would have to pay a fine amounting to 4.1 billion euros ($4.7 billion).
Europe’s highest court upheld the punishment on Thursday, saying the previous rulings were correct. “The appeal brought by Google and its parent company Alphabet against the ruling of the General Court has been rejected, confirming the penalty imposed for Google Search’s abuse of its dominant position in the context of the Android operating system,” the Court of Justice of the European Union said in its ruling. Statement (PDF).
“Android provides More choice “For everyone and supports thousands of businesses,” a Google spokesperson said via email. “This ruling fails to recognize our significant investments in ensuring Android remains open, interoperable, and free. However, we have amended our agreements to align with the initial decision in 2018 and continue to focus on continued innovation and openness for our users, partners, and developers.”
The European Commission originally imposed the fine on Google after conducting an investigation into anticompetitive practices involving the company’s Android ecosystem. It concluded that Google puts phone makers such as Samsung and Motorola at a disadvantage because the agreements it concluded with these companies forced them to rely completely on the Android system.
A particular focus of the committee’s conclusion was the requirement that Google apps and search tools, as well as the Google Play Store, be preinstalled on all Android devices, allowing Google to maintain and enhance its dominance in search.
The original fine was 4.3 billion euros, but the committee It was reduced to 4.1 billion euros In 2022.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said at the time: In a blog post The decision “overlooks the amount of choice Android provides to the thousands of phone makers and mobile network operators who make and sell Android devices; to the millions of app developers around the world who built their businesses using Android; and to the billions of consumers who can now buy and use advanced Android-powered smartphones.”
The committee also imposed fines on Google for other anti-competitive practices, including… Give preference to its own advertising technique and Shopping services. Google too It lost its appeal For the latter of these cases.
