EU adviser backs Android antitrust ruling against Google
Google’s appeal over €4.1bn Android fine likely to fail.
An adviser to the Court of Justice of the European Union has supported the EU’s antitrust ruling against Google, recommending the dismissal of its appeal over a €4.1bn fine. The case concerns Google’s use of its Android mobile system to limit competition through pre-installed apps and contractual restrictions.
The original €4.34bn fine was imposed by the European Commission in 2018 and later reduced by the General Court.
Google then appealed to the EU’s top court, but Advocate-General Juliane Kokott concluded that Google’s practices gave it unfair market advantages.
Kokott rejected Google’s argument that its actions should be assessed against an equally efficient competitor, noting Google’s dominance in the Android ecosystem and the robust network effects it enjoys.
She argued that bundling Google Search and Chrome with the Play Store created barriers for competitors.
The final court ruling is expected in the coming months and could shape Google’s future regulatory obligations in Europe. Google has already incurred over €8 billion in the EU antitrust fines across several investigations.
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