EU Court Upholds Google's Record Antitrust Fine Over Android

*Europe's top court has ended Google's appeals and confirmed the company must pay the 2018 penalty for its Android licensing practices.*

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that the fine originally imposed in 2018 stands. Google had challenged the decision through multiple levels of appeal without success.

One source describes the penalty as a record $4.7 billion tied to alleged anticompetitive Android practices. A second source reports an upheld €4.1 billion fine related to Search conduct instead. The two accounts differ on both the amount and the underlying case.

The original fine dates to July 2018. It addressed claims that Google required device makers to pre-install its search and browser apps and restricted alternative Android versions. Google exhausted its appeals process before the latest ruling.

The company must now pay the amount in full. No further appeals remain available in the case.

The outcome reinforces the European Commission's ability to enforce competition rules against large platform companies. It also signals that lengthy legal challenges to such fines carry limited chance of reversal once they reach the top court.

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Sources:

• Neowin
• Thurrott

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