The Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed Google's final appeal against a record €4.1 billion antitrust fine. This penalty converts to approximately $4.4 billion. Europe's highest court confirmed that Google used its Android operating system to disadvantage competitors unfairly.
The European Commission originally issued a €4.34 billion fine. This initial penalty was handed down in 2018. Regulators determined that Google forced phone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser. A lower court reduced the penalty to the current €4.1 billion figure. This adjustment occurred in 2022.
The ruling may trigger additional regulatory actions and private lawsuits against Alphabet. A Google spokesperson stated the company updated its agreements in 2018 to comply with the initial decision.