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 free operating system that enabled them to compete more effectively with Apple’s iOS ecosystem.
The latest ruling further reinforces the European Commission’s aggressive approach to regulating large digital platforms. It also comes as the European Union continues to tighten oversight of major technology companies through both traditional antitrust enforcement and the Digital Markets Act, which imposes stricter obligations on designated digital “gatekeepers.”
The Android litigation forms part of a broader series of competition cases brought against Google in Europe over the past decade. These include the Google Shopping case, in which the CJEU upheld a separate €2.4 billion fine in September 2024, as well as the AdSense advertising investigation, underscoring the EU’s sustained efforts to curb alleged anti-competitive conduct by major technology companies.
