Latest news with #DMA
The Journal
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
EU court adviser backs record €4.1 billion fine on Google for anti-competitive practices
GOOGLE SUFFERED A legal blow at the European Court of Justice today when the body's adviser recommended upholding a record fine imposed on the company for anti-competitive practices. The US tech giant has been trying to overturn on appeal a €4.3 billion fine imposed by the European Commission in 2018, which was later reduced to €4.1 billion. But in its opinion, Juliane Kokott, advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said 'the legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective', the court later said in a statement. Although not binding, such advice carries weight and is often followed by EU judges in their rulings. The commission, the EU's antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition. It alleged Google pressured phone makers using Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser – essentially shutting out rivals. The findings were upheld in 2022 by the European Union's second-highest court, which slightly reduced the fine. The levy remains the EU's biggest ever. Arguing that the commission's case was unfounded and that the sanction penalised innovation, Google appealed to the EU's top court. Advertisement The company had also pushed the case that the EU was unfairly blind to Apple, which gives preference to its own services, such as Safari on iPhones. Today's advice will guide the EUCJ in its decision. The court has the final say on the matter. 'Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search,' the court said, detailing Kokott's opinion. 'As a result, Google obtained access to data that enabled it in turn to improve its service. No hypothetical as-efficient competitor could have found itself in such a situation,' the statement read. As part of a major push to target big tech abuses, the EU slapped Google with fines worth a total of €8.2 billion between 2017 and 2019 over antitrust violations. This set off a series of long-running legal battles. Brussels has since armed itself with a more powerful legal weapon known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), to rein in tech giants. Rather than regulators discovering egregious antitrust violations after probes lasting many years, the DMA gives businesses a list of what they can and cannot do online. In March, the commission informed Google parent Alphabet that preliminary reviews concluded its search engine and Google Play app store operated in ways that run afoul of the new rules. - © AFP 2025
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Google suffers setback as EU legal opinion backs record fine
Luxembourg: Google suffered a legal blow at the European Court of Justice on Thursday, when the body's adviser recommended upholding a record fine imposed on the company for anti-competitive practices . The US tech giant has been trying to overturn on appeal a 4.3-billion-euro ($4.9 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission in 2018, which was later reduced to 4.1 billion euros. But in its opinion, Juliane Kokott, advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said "the legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective", the court later said in a statement. Although not binding, such advice carries weight and is often followed by EU judges in their rulings. The commission, the EU's antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition. It alleged Google pressured phone makers using Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser -- essentially shutting out rivals. The findings were upheld in 2022 by the European Union's second-highest court, which slightly reduced the fine. The levy remains the EU's biggest ever. Arguing that the commission's case was unfounded and that the sanction penalised innovation, Google appealed to the EU's top court. The company had also pushed the case that the EU was unfairly blind to Apple, which gives preference to its own services, such as Safari on iPhones. Thursday's advice will guide the EUCJ in its decision. The court has the final say on the matter. "Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search," the court said, detailing Kokott's opinion. "As a result, Google obtained access to data that enabled it in turn to improve its service. No hypothetical as-efficient competitor could have found itself in such a situation," the statement read. As part of a major push to target big tech abuses, the EU slapped Google with fines worth a total of 8.2 billion euros between 2017 and 2019 over antitrust violations. This set off a series of long-running legal battles. Brussels has since armed itself with a more powerful legal weapon known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), to rein in tech giants. Rather than regulators discovering egregious antitrust violations after probes lasting many years, the DMA gives businesses a list of what they can and cannot do online. In March, the commission informed Google parent Alphabet that preliminary reviews concluded its search engine and Google Play app store operated in ways that run afoul of the new rules.
Euronews
15 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Apple and Meta to escape sanctions for failing to meet digital rules
US tech giants Apple and Meta will not face sanctions immediately for failure to meet obligations under the EU's digital rulebook, an EU spokesperson told Euronews. In April, the Commission fined Apple €500 million and Meta €200 million for non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and gave both companies 60 days to bring their practices in line with EU rules. That grace period ends on 26 June, after which they risk periodic penalty payments. According to the spokesperson, financial penalties will not be applied automatically but only after the Commission conducts a preliminary analysis and shares its findings with the two tech giants as part of an ongoing exchange process. Apple was fined €500 million for preventing developers from directing users to alternative offers or content outside its platform—an action deemed contrary to DMA rules. Meta received a €200 million fine for its "pay or consent" model, which the Commission found problematic. The model forces users to either consent to the use of their personal data for targeted advertising or pay for an ad-free subscription—limiting user choice. In response, Meta introduced a revised version of its personalised advertising model in November 2024, which uses less personal data. The Commission is still evaluating this system while continuing its discussions with the company. Compared to past antitrust enforcement, the fines issued in April were relatively modest. Under former EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, tech giants were subject to more substantial penalties. In April, EU officials explained that the lower fines reflected the short duration of the violations since the DMA implementation started in 2023 and the Commission's current focus on achieving compliance rather than punishing breaches. US digital services have been drawn into the trade war that has been escalating between the US and the EU since mid-March. In response to US tariffs, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to impose a tax on digital advertising revenues. Meanwhile, a report by the US Trade Representative, published in early April, labelled EU digital regulations as a barrier to US exports. The DMA is designed to prevent dominant digital platforms from abusing their market power. It aims to open up digital ecosystems controlled by Big Tech and ensure users enjoy real freedom of choice online. The foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom - collectively known as the E3 - will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva to discuss Iran's nuclear program in Geneva on Friday. While the EU has historically played a key role in negotiations with Iran, it seems unlikely to participate in the formal talks. When asked by Euronews whether EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas would participate in the talks, a European Commission spokesperson gave no clear confirmation. 'We have always expressed our openness to dialogue and negotiation. When such dialogue occurs, we will inform you,' the spokesperson said, leaving open the possibility of a last-minute invitation. Before the E3-Iran meeting, the European ministers are expected to meet with Kallas at Germany's permanent mission in Geneva however – a move that highlights the EU's continued efforts to coordinate and facilitate diplomacy, even if indirectly. Brussels has long played a central role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, particularly through the High Representative for Foreign Affairs in the broader EU+3 format – which once included other countries such as the United States, Russia and China. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the UN-brokered nuclear agreement aimed at lifting sanctions in exchange for Iran's compliance with nuclear obligations, the EU served as a key facilitator and guardian of the agreement's implementation. Under the previous administration of US President Donald Trump, Washington pulled out of the JCPOA. The upcoming talks are expected to revive dialogue in light of the escalating conflict and persuade Iran to provide credible guarantees that its nuclear program remains exclusively civilian in nature. However, the influence of the European parties has waned in recent months. The last E3-Iran meeting was held in January, shortly before Trump assumed office. Subsequent indirect US-Iran talks, brokered by Oman, failed to yield results, with the sixth planned round cancelled after the Israeli military strikes on Iran. Although not directly involved this time, the EU has played a behind-the-scenes role as a diplomatic facilitator, attempting to bridge divides among European countries and even between Europe and the US. The EU's presence in the talks has visibly diminished since the tenure of former High Representative Federica Mogherini, who was a prominent architect and staunch defender of the 2015 deal. Despite its limited visibility, the EU hopes that its coordinating efforts can still shape the outcome of the talks or at least keep the door open for renewed multilateral diplomacy on Iran's nuclear file.
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Google suffers setback as EU legal opinion backs record fine
LUXEMBOURG: Google suffered a legal blow at the European Court of Justice on Thursday, when the body's adviser recommended upholding a record fine imposed on the company for anti-competitive practices. The US tech giant has been trying to overturn on appeal a 4.3-billion-euro ($4.9 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission in 2018, which was later reduced to 4.1 billion euros. But in its opinion, Juliane Kokott, advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said 'the legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective', the court later said in a statement. Although not binding, such advice carries weight and is often followed by EU judges in their rulings. The commission, the EU's antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition. It alleged Google pressured phone makers using Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser -- essentially shutting out rivals. The findings were upheld in 2022 by the European Union's second-highest court, which slightly reduced the fine. The levy remains the EU's biggest ever. Arguing that the commission's case was unfounded and that the sanction penalised innovation, Google appealed to the EU's top court. The company had also pushed the case that the EU was unfairly blind to Apple, which gives preference to its own services, such as Safari on iPhones. Thursday's advice will guide the EUCJ in its decision. The court has the final say on the matter. 'Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search,' the court said, detailing Kokott's opinion. 'As a result, Google obtained access to data that enabled it in turn to improve its service. No hypothetical as-efficient competitor could have found itself in such a situation,' the statement read. As part of a major push to target big tech abuses, the EU slapped Google with fines worth a total of 8.2 billion euros between 2017 and 2019 over antitrust violations. This set off a series of long-running legal battles. Brussels has since armed itself with a more powerful legal weapon known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), to rein in tech giants. Rather than regulators discovering egregious antitrust violations after probes lasting many years, the DMA gives businesses a list of what they can and cannot do online. In March, the commission informed Google parent Alphabet that preliminary reviews concluded its search engine and Google Play app store operated in ways that run afoul of the new rules.
New Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Google suffers setback as EU legal opinion backs record fine
LUXEMBOURG: Google suffered a legal blow at the European Court of Justice today, when the body's adviser recommended upholding a record fine imposed on the company for anti-competitive practices. The US tech giant has been trying to overturn on appeal a €4.3-billion (RM21 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission in 2018, which was later reduced to €4.1 billion. But in its opinion, Juliane Kokott, advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said "the legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective", the court later said in a statement. Although not binding, such advice carries weight and is often followed by EU judges in their rulings. The commission, the EU's antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition. It alleged Google pressured phone makers using Android to pre-install its search engine and Google Chrome browser – essentially shutting out rivals. The findings were upheld in 2022 by the European Union's second-highest court, which slightly reduced the fine. The levy remains the EU's biggest ever. Arguing that the commission's case was unfounded and that the sanction penalised innovation, Google appealed to the EU's top court. The company had also pushed the case that the EU was unfairly blind to Apple, which gives preference to its own services, such as Safari on iPhones. Today's advice will guide the EUCJ in its decision. The court has the final say on the matter. "Google held a dominant position in several markets of the Android-ecosystem and thus benefited from network effects that enabled it to ensure that users used Google Search," the court said, detailing Kokott's opinion. "As a result, Google obtained access to data that enabled it in turn to improve its service. No hypothetical as-efficient competitor could have found itself in such a situation," the statement read. As part of a major push to target big tech abuses, the EU slapped Google with fines worth a total of €8.2 billion between 2017 and 2019 over antitrust violations. This set off a series of long-running legal battles. Brussels has since armed itself with a more powerful legal weapon known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), to rein in tech giants. Rather than regulators discovering egregious antitrust violations after probes lasting many years, the DMA gives businesses a list of what they can and cannot do online.
