Google's $2.5 billion fine was upheld by Europe's top court
Google had previously contested the decision in the EU’s General Court, which also upheld the fine
Samrat Timalsina
Kathmandu | Europe’s highest court has upheld a $2.65 billion fine against Google, originally imposed for abusing its market dominance.
The fine was issued by the European Commission in 2017 after an investigation found Google gave preference to its own shopping comparison service over competitors.
In a response to CNBC, Google expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling, stating: "We’re disappointed by the decision.
It relates to specific facts, and we made changes back in 2017 to comply with the European Commission’s ruling."
The company’s appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) was rejected on Tuesday, affirming the fine.
Google had previously contested the decision in the EU’s General Court, which also upheld the fine, leading Google to take the matter to the ECJ.
The initial investigation by the European Commission concluded that Google had prioritised its own shopping service in search results, unfairly disadvantaging its competitors.
Since then, Google claims to have introduced changes allowing competitors to compete for ad placements in shopping search results.
This ruling closes another significant legal case for Google in Europe. On the same day, the ECJ also upheld a ruling requiring Apple to pay back €13 billion in taxes to Ireland.
Pressure on Google, owned by Alphabet, continues to grow worldwide.
The European Union began investigating Alphabet earlier this year under the Digital Markets Act, targeting practices of tech companies.
Additionally, Google is facing an antitrust case in the US, where it is being scrutinised for its advertising business.
