Google's Shopping Service Penalty: EU's Landmark Antitrust Ruling Finalized

The European Union Court of Justice upheld a multibillion-Euro penalty against Google for favoring its shopping service over competitors, marking an end to a lengthy antitrust case. The decision underscores the EU's stringent stance on tech industry practices, leading to increased scrutiny and regulatory actions worldwide.

In a significant legal verdict, Google's final appeal against a substantial European Union antitrust penalty failed on Tuesday. The EU's Court of Justice confirmed a lower court's decision to maintain the punitive 2.4 billion Euro fine, originally imposed for anti-competitive practices in its shopping service.

This ruling ends a drawn-out legal battle that began in 2017 when the European Commission fined the Silicon Valley titan for unfairly directing search traffic to its own shopping platform, disadvantaging rivals. The penalty was part of a series of actions as the EU intensified its oversight of major tech firms.

Despite implementing changes to promote fair competition, Google expressed disappointment with the ruling but highlighted compliance since 2017. The decision is hailed by consumer groups and signifies a broader global trend of heightened regulatory scrutiny on big tech companies.

(With inputs from agencies.)