Google must pay €2.4bn fine for exploiting dominance-EU court rules

Europe's highest court has upheld a €2.4 billion (£2 billion) fine against Google for exploiting its dominance in the shopping comparison market. 

Initially imposed by the European Commission in 2017, the fine was the largest at the time, though it has since been surpassed by another €4.3 billion fine against the tech company. 

Despite Google's appeal, the court ruled in favor of the Commission, dismissing Google's arguments and maintaining that the company's actions were "discriminatory."

This ruling concludes a lengthy legal battle in 2009 when British firm Foundem first filed a complaint against Google, which was then part of the EU. Another complainant, Kelkoo, a shopping comparison site, celebrated the decision, calling it a victory for fair competition and consumer choice.

In response to the ruling, Google expressed disappointment but noted that it had made changes back in 2017 to comply with the Commission's decision, which it claims have worked effectively. 

The company highlighted that these adjustments have generated billions of clicks for over 800 comparison shopping services.

Google is also dealing with other legal issues, including a current trial in the U.S. over its advertising technology, where it faces accusations of monopolistic practices. In the UK, regulators recently concluded that Google used anti-competitive tactics to dominate the online ad tech market.

The EU's case against Google stemmed from Foundem’s claim that Google gave its own shopping results undue prominence over competitors'. 

After years of investigation, the Commission ruled in 2017 that Google had indeed stifled competition in online price comparison. This ruling has now been confirmed by the European Court of Justice.