Latest news with #JulianeKokott
The Journal
5 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
5 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.
6 hours ago
- Business
Google hits setback in bid to overturn multibillion EU antitrust fine in Android case
LONDON -- Google faced a big setback Thursday in its attempt to overturn a multibillion-dollar European Union antitrust penalty involving Android after a top court's legal adviser sided with regulators. The European Court of Justice's advocate general, Juliane Kokott, recommended in a non-binding opinion that Google's appeal against the fine worth more than 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) should be dismissed. The case dates back to 2018, when the EU's executive Commission slapped Google with a 4.134 billion euro fine after finding that the U.S. tech company used the dominance of its mobile Android operating system to throttle competition and reduce consumer choice. After Google filed an initial appeal, a lower court trimmed the penalty to 4.125 billion euros in 2022, which the company also appealed to the Court of Justice. Kokott advised that the Court of Justice confirm the fine and uphold the lower court's judgment, according to a press release summarizing her opinion. Google said it was disappointed with the opinion, adding that if the court follows it, it "would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users, partners and app developers.' ″Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world," the company said in a statement. Opinions from the advocate general aren't legally binding but are often followed by judges. The judges 'are now beginning their deliberations in this case. Judgment will be given at a later date,' the court said. The fine was one of three antitrust penalties totaling more than 8 billion euros that the European Commission slapped on Google in the last decade, as the 27-nation bloc launched its crackdown on Big Tech companies.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
'Google was wrong to...': Europe court advisor on $4.74 billion Android fine
Google has faced a significant setback in its multi-year legal battle against the European Union's (EU) antitrust authorities, as a top legal adviser to the EU's highest court has backed a 4.124 billion euros ($4.74 billion) fine. Juliane Kokott, an advocate general at the European Union's Court of Justice in Luxembourg, recommended that judges uphold the penalty against the search giant for its contractual obligations on device manufacturers using its Android operating system. According to a report by news agency Reuters, Kokott advised the court to confirm the reduced fine set by the lower tribunal. Judges, who usually follow four out of five such non-binding opinions, will rule in the coming months. She asserts that Google was wrong to challenge the fine, stating that for years, the company held a dominant position across several Android ecosystem markets, which allowed it to unfairly benefit by ensuring users utilized its services, particularly Google Search. Google expresses disappointment with the opinion In response, a Google spokesperson expressed disappointment with the opinion, arguing that if it were to be fully adopted by the Court, it "would discourage investment in open platforms and ultimately harm Android users, partners and app developers." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo "Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world," a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying. The dispute dates back to 2018 when the European Commission initially levied a record 4.34 billion euros fine against Google. The Commission alleged that Google had unfairly leveraged its digital dominance by imposing conditions on Android device manufacturers and network operators, effectively ensuring that search traffic from Android devices was directed to Google's own search engine. Google first appealed this decision at the EU's General Court, where judges largely upheld the Commission's findings but reduced the original penalty to 4.12 billion euros in 2022. Google subsequently appealed this reduced fine to the Court of Justice. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EU Court Advisor Backs Google's $4.7 Billion Android Fine
Alphabet's Google suffered a setback in its yearslong battle against an antitrust fine after a top adviser to the European Union's highest court backed a 4.12 billion-euro ($4.74 billion) penalty imposed by EU antitrust regulators over how the tech giant imposes contractual obligations on device manufacturers deploying its Android operating system. Juliane Kokott, an advocate general of the European Union's Court of Justice in Luxembourg, said Google is wrong to attempt to challenge the fine. She said the company for years held a dominant position in several markets of the Android system that enabled it to benefit from ensuring that users used its services like Google Search. Kokott recommended that judges should uphold the fine, according to a court press release. The Biggest Companies Across America Are Cutting Their Workforces Microsoft Plans to Cut Thousands More Employees All the Hollywood Action Is Happening Everywhere But Hollywood The Fed Waits Out the Tariff Economy The Path to Record Deficits A Google spokesperson said the company was disappointed by the opinion. If the court were to follow it, it could discourage investment in open platforms and ultimately harm users, developers and business partners, the spokesperson said. The opinion is a blow for the search giant, which has for years tried to rid itself of multibillion-dollar penalties the commission has levied for antitrust violations. Judges don't have to follow the advocate general's opinion, but they often do. The European Commission fined Google a record 4.34 billion euros ($4.98 billion) in 2018, alleging that the company unfairly used its dominance in the digital economy to compel device manufacturers and network operators to prioritize Google's own search engine traffic on Android devices. Google first appealed that fine at the EU's general court, where judges in the lower tribunal largely upheld the commission's verdict but trimmed the original penalty to 4.12 billion euros. Although Google's lawyers also argued that the lowered penalty still went too far, Kokott said the judges' fine calculation wasn't excessive to the point of being disproportionate, according to the full text of the opinion. The company has made changes aimed at giving users more control over which search engines and browsers they set as default on their phones. Google in 2019 offered to let rivals appear on a choice screen. The tech giant is now also bound by strict new rules under the EU's Digital Markets Act that govern how it and other large tech groups must treat smaller businesses that rely on their popular platforms such as search and Chrome to reach customers. Companies can be fined up to 10% of their annual worldwide turnover for flouting the rules, with penalties rising to 20% for repeat offences. Google has racked up some 8.25 billion euros of EU competition fines in the last decade. Last year, it failed to cancel a 2.4 billion-euro penalty handed to it over how its shopping search results position other results from competing price-comparison sites. Write to Edith Hancock at Fed Holds Rates Steady and Keeps Door Open to Cuts Stablecoin Legislation Will Juice Demand for Treasurys—to a Point Waymo Wants to Bring Its Robotaxis to New York City QXO Proposes $5 Billion Acquisition of GMS What UnitedHealth Can Do to Revive Its Battered Stock
