NEW YORK: Google on Tuesday made a final appeal to overturn a US$2.6 billion anti-trust fine imposed by the European Commission in 2017, reported German news agency (dpa).
The fine, arising from allegations of market abuse through Google’s online shopping service, has been the subject of a prolonged legal battle.
While Google initiated its appeal in February 2020, it suffered a setback in November 2021 when the EU General Court dismissed its arguments.
Now, Google has taken its case to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Europe’s highest court, for what appears to be its final attempt to overturn the penalty.
Google’s primary contention is that EU regulators failed to establish that its business practices were anti-competitive.
According to Google’s legal team, treating competitors differently is inherent in competition and innovation, not an anti-trust violation.
On the opposing side, commission lawyer Fernando Castillo de la Torre argued that Google had unfairly promoted its own price comparison shopping service through its algorithms, breaching EU anti-trust laws.
While Google had the right to use algorithms to enhance user experience, Castillo de la Torre asserted that it went too far by leveraging its dominance in general search to favour its own services.
The CJEU is expected to provide its final ruling in the coming months, following advocate general Juliane Kokott’s non-binding opinion, which will be issued on Jan 11, 2024.
This US$2.6 billion fine is just one of several penalties Google has faced in Europe for alleged anti-competitive practices, totalling €8.25 billion (US$8.8 billion) over the past decade.
Google’s ongoing legal battles, including an investigation into its digital advertising business, continue to have significant implications for competition and anti-trust regulation in the tech industry. – BERNAMA-dpa
