Google is in more legal trouble after the EU dismissed the tech giant's final appeal against the European Commission's 2018 antitrust fine over Android.
In case you're confused, back in 2018, the European Commission (EC) slapped Google with a record-breaking penalty of around $5 billion at the time, though a court later reduced the amount to €4.1 billion in 2022.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition commissioner at the time, argued that Google used illegal tactics to maintain its search monopoly, forcing companies like Samsung and LG to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser if those phone makers wanted the Play Store on their mobile devices. Google also paid massive sums to manufacturers to guarantee exclusivity and banned those manufacturers from selling devices running modified versions of Android.
CNBC said that Google has been appealing the decision for years, but now the highest court in the European Union, the European Court of Justice, dismissed the final appeal, stating the company "has no further right to appeal" and must pay the multi-billion-dollar penalty.
A Google spokesperson, in reaction to the disappointing ruling, told the outlet that Android provides more choice for everyone while supporting thousands of businesses. The representative added that the court failed to recognize Google's significant financial investments to keep the operating system open and accessible for free.
Google's no stranger to legal troubles (especially in Europe). Just days ago, a Swedish court ruled that the tech giant must pay 14.3 billion kronor ($1.5 billion) to Klarna over anticompetitive practices. The court found that Google manipulated search results to favor its own comparison shopping services over PriceRunner, a subsidiary Klarna acquired in 2022. Google has rejected the court's decision and plans to appeal the massive penalty. The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) giant will have to wait for the payout, as the appeal process will take years to resolve in court.