The European Union’s top court adviser has recommended that Google should pay the €2.42 billion antitrust fine. This recommendation comes after a long-running antitrust case in which the European Commission accused Google of unfairly directing visitors to its own Google Shopping. The adviser’s opinion is not legally binding but is often followed by the court. The final decision is expected within months.
Background
The European Commission imposed a €2.42 billion antitrust fine on Google in 2017 for favouring its shopping service. Google appealed to the top EU tribunal after the lower General Court rejected its challenge. The initial debate centred on whether Google used its search tools to gain an advantage in online shopping. The EU believes that Google has gained an unfair advantage by embedding price comparison tools directly into search results. Compared with smaller EU companies, it is difficult to shake Google’s dominance in the search field. As a result, the EU fined Google 2.42 billion euros in 2017.
Court Adviser’s Opinion
A senior adviser to the European Union’s top court said the judge should uphold the fine against Google, Bloomberg reported. Although this recommendation is not a final judgment, past cases show that judges usually adopt the opinions of consultants.
Juliane Kokott, General Counsel of the Court of Justice of the European Union, said:
“Google has used its dominant position in the market for general search services to facilitate its own services by giving priority to the results of its own comparison shopping service.”
Kokott believes that the judge should maintain the fine of 2.42 billion euros against Google.
Google’s Response
In response Google says it will continue to do all it can in the European region and work with the European Commission. The company said in a statement
“Regardless of the outcome of the appeal, we will continue to implement the improvement measures that have been successfully implemented for many years. We will also continue to work constructively with the European Commission.”
The company also said it will carefully study the consultant’s opinions, and await the court’s formal ruling. Google has been the focus of EU antitrust probe, and its digital advertising business and potential antitrust practices have often been questioned. Since 2017, Google has been fined more than $10 billion worldwide.
Implications
If the court follows the adviser’s recommendation, Google will have to pay the multibillion-euro fine. This decision could have significant implications for Google and its business practices in the European Union.
Gizchina News of the week
The case against Google began in 2010 when the European Commission launched an investigation into the company’s business practices. The commission accused Google of abusing its dominant position in the search engine market by favoring its own shopping service over those of its competitors. In 2017, the commission imposed a €2.42 billion fine on Google for these antitrust violations.
Google appealed the decision to the General Court, which rejected its challenge in 2020. The company then appealed to the European Court of Justice, which is the highest court in the European Union. The court’s advocate general, Juliane Kokott, has now recommended that the court reject Google’s appeal and uphold the €2.42 billion fine.
The court’s final decision is expected within months. If the court follows the advocate general’s recommendation, Google will have to pay the €2.42 billion fine. This decision could have significant implications for Google and its business practices in the European Union.
Google has faced a number of antitrust investigations and fines in recent years. In addition to the €2.42 billion fine for favoring its own shopping service, the company has also been fined €4.34 billion for antitrust violations related to its Android operating system and €1.49 billion for antitrust violations related to its AdSense advertising service.
EU crackdown on antitrust violations
The European Union has been cracking down on antitrust violations by tech companies in recent years. In addition to Google, the EU has also targeted other tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, and Facebook. The EU’s antitrust probes and fines have been seen as a way to level the playing field for smaller competitors and to protect consumers from anticompetitive practices.
The EU’s supervision of technology giants is constantly strengthening. The recently passed Digital Market Act lists Google and other top brands as a “gatekeeper” and requires that some of its core platform services must be open to other platforms. If it doesn’t comply with these regulations, Google will face more severe fines.
However, Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager on Thursday to discuss competition among big tech companies. Apple CEO Tim Cook and other U.S. technology giants also attended the meeting. Hopefully, tech companies and the EU can find common ground and move forward in a way that balances innovation and competition.
Final Words
The European Union’s top court adviser has recommended that Google should pay the €2.42 billion antitrust fine. Although this recommendation is not a final judgment, past cases show that judges usually adopt the opinions of consultants. This decision could have significant implications for Google and its business practices in the European Union. The court’s final decision is expected within months.
Author Bio
Efe Udin is a seasoned tech writer with over seven years of experience. He covers a wide range of topics in the tech industry from industry politics to mobile phone performance. From mobile phones to tablets, Efe has also kept a keen eye on the latest advancements and trends. He provides insightful analysis and reviews to inform and educate readers. Efe is very passionate about tech and covers interesting stories as well as offers solutions where possible.
