Top adviser urges EU court to uphold Google's $27 billion antitrust fine
Europe's top court urged to uphold Google's $27 billion antitrust fine, dealing a significant blow to the internet search giant
An adviser to Europe's top court recommended on Thursday that the €2.42 billion ($2.7 billion) antitrust fine imposed on Google by the European Union should be upheld. This was a blow to the internet search engine giant, owned by Alphabet (GOOGL). The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, imposed the fine in 2017, accusing Google of using its price comparison shopping service to unfairly dominate smaller European rivals.
Juliane Kokott, Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, stated that the judges should uphold the fine.
She mentioned, "Google was using its dominant market position in general search services to promote its own comparison shopping service by prioritizing the display of its own results."
Judges, who follow the majority of such non-binding recommendations, will rule in the coming months.
In this photo illustration the Google Play logo seen displayed on a smartphone.
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Google said it would review the opinion and wait for the court ruling.
The company remains committed to investing in their successful remedy and will maintain a constructive relationship with the European Commission, regardless of its popularity, according to a spokesperson. EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager is set to meet with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and other Big Tech leaders in the US to discuss competition and digital issues later on Thursday.
Google has also challenged two other EU rulings, regarding its Android mobile operating system and AdSense advertising service.
