Alphabet’s appeal against the 2018 EU antitrust penalty for Android market dominance is rejected, finalizing the record fine.
Europe’s highest court upheld a €4.1 billion ($4.7 billion) antitrust fine against Alphabet’s Google, ending a five-year legal battle over Android market dominance. Regulators ruled Google abused its control of the mobile operating system to stifle competition, a decision now legally binding.
The 2018 penalty, the largest ever imposed by the EU, followed a three-year investigation into Google’s practices, including requiring manufacturers to pre-install Google apps. Analysts had expected the court to side with regulators, given prior rulings on tech monopolies.
Shares of Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) showed muted reaction in early trading, as the outcome was widely anticipated. The fine represents roughly 4% of the company’s 2023 net income.