EU Court Upholds Google's €2.4 Billion Fine: A Landmark Antitrust Case

Google lost its final legal battle against a 2.4 billion euro fine by the European Union's Court of Justice for giving its own shopping service an illegal advantage in search results. This decision marks a significant point in a lengthy antitrust case involving the tech giant's competitive practices.

Google has lost its ultimate legal challenge against a €2.4 billion penalty imposed by the European Union's antitrust authorities, ending a prolonged legal and regulatory affair.

The Europe's highest court affirmed the European Commission's 2017 decision that accused Google of manipulating search results to benefit its own comparison shopping service, to the detriment of competitors. This ruling upholds earlier decisions made by lower courts, cementing Google's defeat.

The tech giant had revised its practices to align with the commission's directives, but had continued to contest the fine through various legal avenues. Additionally, Google is appealing two other substantial EU fines related to its Android operating system and ad services. These landmark cases signal growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech on a global scale.

(With inputs from agencies.)