Alphabet's Google urged the EU's top court Wednesday to uphold a lower tribunal's decision to scrap a €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) antitrust fine. The European Commission ruled in 2019 that Google abused its market dominance. Google used restrictive clauses in contracts. These clauses prevented rival online search advertisers from placing ads on publisher websites via its AdSense platform.
The General Court annulled the penalty in 2024. It stated regulators had not sufficiently proven their case to the required legal standard. The European Commission is now appealing that annulment at the Court of Justice of the European Union. It argues the lower court made legal errors. A court adviser is scheduled to give a non-binding opinion on November 12. A final judgment is expected in the months that follow.