What happened
The Court of Justice of the EU has upheld a €2.4 billion fine imposed on Google for abusing its dominant position in the online comparison shopping market.
The European Commission found that Google gave preferential treatment to its own comparison shopping service by prominently displaying its results with images and text, while competing services were shown as simple blue links.
This conduct occurred in 13 EEA countries, where Google’s algorithms demoted the results of rival comparison shopping services, making it harder for them to compete.
Google and its parent company, Alphabet, challenged the decision, but the Court of Justice dismissed their appeal, confirming the fine.
Why it matters
By abusing its dominant position in search results, Google restricted competition, which can harm consumers by limiting their choices and innovation in the market. The ruling reinforces the importance of fair competition in the EU’s digital marketplace.
What happened The Court of Justice of the EU has upheld a €2.4 billion fine imposed on Google for abusing its dominant position in the online comparison shopping market. The European Commission found that Google gave preferential treatment to its own comparison shopping service by prominently displaying its results with images and text, while competing […]