EU’s top court rejects Google’s final appeal, confirms €4.1 billion Android antitrust penalty
EU’s top court rejects Google’s final appeal, confirms €4.1 billion Android antitrust penalty
Publish Date: 2026-07-03 00:16:00
Source Domain: www.medianews4u.com
Mumbai: The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has dismissed Google and parent Alphabet’s final appeal against a €4.125 billion ($4.7 billion) antitrust penalty, bringing to a close one of the European Union’s most significant competition cases involving the Android mobile operating system.
The ruling upholds an earlier decision by the EU’s General Court, which had largely endorsed the European Commission’s findings while reducing the original 2018 fine from €4.34 billion to €4.125 billion. With the CJEU rejecting Google’s appeal, the reduced penalty now stands as the final judgment within the EU legal system.
At the heart of the case are allegations that Google used Android to reinforce the dominance of its search engine by imposing restrictive conditions on smartphone manufacturers and mobile network operators. According to the European Commission, the company required manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome on Android devices, restricted the use of alternative Android versions, and entered into revenue-sharing agreements that incentivised the exclusive use of Google Search.
The Commission argued that these practices, in place from 2011 onwards, unfairly limited competition in the mobile ecosystem and helped Google strengthen its position in the online search market.
Responding to the verdict, Google expressed disappointment with the outcome. A company spokesperson said Android has expanded consumer choice while supporting thousands of businesses, adding that the judgment “fails to recognise our significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free.”
Google also noted that it had already modified its contractual arrangements following the European Commission’s 2018 decision and remains focused on delivering an open platform for users, developers and business partners.
Throughout the proceedings, Google maintained that Android increased competition by providing handset makers with a…
