Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) may have to stump up nearly €2.5 million in antitrust fines handed out by the European Commission over its anticompetitive shopping practices.
In 2017, the Commission determined that the results of product searches made using Google’s general search engine were positioned and displayed in a more eye-catching manner when the results came from Google’s own comparison shopping service than when they came from competing comparison shopping services.
Moreover, competing results were displayed as generic blue links and were prone to being demoted by adjustment algorithms in Google’s general results pages.
Alphabet has vigorously contested the accusations, but Juliane Kokott, Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), has advised judges to confirm the fine in a ruling due in the coming months.
"Google, as found by the Commission and confirmed by the General Court, was leveraging its dominant position on the market for general search services to favour its own comparison shopping service by favouring the display of its results," she said.
Google has racked up more than €8 billion (£6.7 billion) worth of European antitrust fines in the past seven years under the bloc’s hawkish approach to anti-competitive practices.
These include:
Google Shopping (2017)
The European Commission fined Google €2.42 billion in June 2017 for abusing its dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service at the expense of competitors.
Google was required to stop its anti-competitive practices and offer equal treatment to rival comparison shopping services.
Android (2018)
In July 2018, the European Commission fined Google €4.34 billion for imposing illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to strengthen its dominance in general internet search.
Google was ordered to cease these practices.
AdSense (2019)
In March 2019, Google was fined €1.49 billion by the European Commission for abusing its dominant position in online advertising with its AdSense platform.
The company was accused of preventing third-party websites from displaying rival search ads.
Google Search (2020)
In June 2020, the European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation into Google's online advertising practices, specifically focusing on the company's display advertising business.
The case is ongoing.