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The search giant said it is seeking ‘legal clarification’ over the €4.1 billion fine
Getting slapped with fines is nothing new for Google. One of the biggest penalties levied on the search giant came from the European Union in 2018 with the bloc’s antitrust investigator, Margrethe Vestager, alleging the juggernaut was misusing its market power with Android in the region. The company appealed the ruling to a lower court in September, and while the amount has been reduced, it remains on the hook for a record €4.1 billion. Now, Google is pushing yet another appeal to the union’s top court.
Defending itself against allegations it forces Android device manufacturers to integrate its own services such as internet search and the Chrome web browser, Google said that the operating system has generated “more choice for everyone, not less,” adding that it aids businesses across the globe, including in Europe.
Google has another appeal lodged with the European Court of Justice to overturn a €2.4 billion fine issued on antitrust accusations over its Google Shopping service.
Vestager, who also serves as the EU Commissioner for Competition, has been a vocal critic of Google and other tech companies operating within Europe. As Bloomberg points out, Vestager has issued fines totaling more than €8 billion against Google so far whilst also attempting to combat the company’s influence in the digital advertising sector.
Since October this year, the Federal Trade Commission has been considering penalizing the company over allegedly deceptive Pixel 4 ads while India has also fined Google over anti-competitive practices related to Android.
Separately, 43 European price comparison websites have recently requested the European Commission to take action against the company, alleging that the Google Shopping service has a flawed auction system that inflates price quotes for shoppers. This conglomerate of smaller players in the shopping business further said that Google is violating the Digital Markets Act, which was put in place specifically to keep Big Tech in check.
Meanwhile, as a result of this verdict, Google has had to make changes made to its Android licensing deals to allow device manufacturers to offer their phones in the EEA with or without the Google Play Store and associated services, Chrome, or Google Search. The company has found a way to make some money back on the process by holding periodic auctions for alternative search engine slots on European devices with Google Search pre-installed — something that has ruffled the feathers of at least one competitor, DuckDuckGo.
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