Europe's top court, the Court of Justice of the European Union, has dismissed Google's final appeal against a record €4.125 billion antitrust fine. This legally binding decision concludes a legal battle that began in 2018 when the European Commission found Google had abused the market dominance of its Android operating system.
The ruling confirms that Google placed unlawful restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices to strengthen the dominant position of its search engine. These practices included requiring the pre-installation of the Google Search and Chrome browser apps as a condition for licensing the Google Play Store, effectively blocking rivals. The decision marks a significant victory for EU regulators in their long-running effort to curb the power of Big Tech.