The ruling brings an end to a procedure that has been ongoing since 2018. The European Commission at that time imposed a record fine on Google because the company forced smartphone manufacturers to pre-install several of its own services by default on Android devices. According to the European regulator, this gave competing providers less chance to reach users.
The original fine amounted to 4.34 billion euros. A lower European court confirmed the violations a few years later but reduced the amount to approximately 4.1 billion euros. Google appealed again, but the highest European court has now ruled that the sanction remains in place.
Restriction of competition
The judges ruled that Google used its dominant position with Android in a way that restricted competition. This included the fact that manufacturers had to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser if they wanted to use Android on their devices. Agreements were also made that limited the space for alternative Android versions.
Promotion
Throughout the procedure, Google maintained that Android is an open and freely accessible platform. According to the company, users could always download competing apps themselves, and the European assessment did not sufficiently take into account the investments the corporation has made in the operating system. Google also emphasized that the agreements involved in the case have since been adjusted.
Dominant market power
The ruling fits within a series of long-standing European Union investigations into the market power of major technology companies. Google has received several billion-euro fines in recent years for violations of European competition rules. Additionally, various investigations are ongoing regarding the practices of large digital platforms.
Meanwhile, the European Union also has new legislation that imposes stricter rules on large online platforms. This legislation is intended to prevent companies with a dominant market position from favoring their own services or excluding competitors. This allows regulators to intervene earlier than solely through lengthy competition procedures.
The ruling underlines that the European judiciary fully supports the European Commission’s competition approach. This means that one of the largest fines in European history remains in place and gives European policy towards the largest technology companies a strong legal endorsement once again.