Google loses final appeal against EU’s $4.7 billion Android antitrust fine

Google has lost its final legal challenge against a €4.1 billion ($4.7 billion) European Union antitrust fine, after the bloc’s highest court upheld a landmark ruling related to the company’s Android business practices. The decision marks the end of a legal battle that has stretched for years and represents a significant victory for European regulators.The European Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed an appeal filed by Google and its parent company, Alphabet, confirming a penalty originally imposed by the European Commission in 2018. The Commission had accused Google of abusing Android’s dominant position in the smartphone market to strengthen the reach of its search engine and browser services.According to regulators, Google required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome on Android devices as a condition for accessing the Play Store and other essential Google services. The Commission argued that these arrangements unfairly disadvantaged competing search engines and browsers.The original fine stood at €4.34 billion, but a lower EU court reduced it to approximately €4.1 billion in 2022 while still upholding the core antitrust findings against the company. Google's latest appeal sought to overturn that judgement, but the ECJ ruled against the tech giant, leaving no further avenue for appeal.Also read: EU plans high triple-digit million euro fine for Google in antitrust investigation: ReportIn a statement cited by CNBC, the ECJ said it was confirming the penalty imposed for Google's anti-competitive conduct relating to the Android operating system. The court concluded that earlier judges had correctly assessed the anti-competitive effects of Google's agreements with device manufacturers.Google expressed disappointment with the ruling, arguing that Android has increased consumer choice and supported thousands of businesses across Europe. The company said it had already modified its agreements to comply with the European Commission's original decision in 2018 and would continue focusing on innovation and openness across the Android ecosystem.The judgement is the latest chapter in the European Union's long-running efforts to curb the market power of major technology companies. The Commission first launched proceedings against Google in 2015 and has since pursued several investigations into the company's business practices.The ruling could also expose Google to further legal challenges from companies that claim to have been harmed by the firm's conduct. Meanwhile, the company continues to face regulatory scrutiny in Europe under the Digital Markets Act, which aims to increase competition in digital markets and limit the influence of dominant platforms.