Latest news with #Kokott
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Google hits setback in bid to overturn multibillion EU antitrust fine in Android case
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 summarising 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. Google still faces a decision from Brussels in an antitrust case targeting its digital ad business.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Google faces setback as EU court adviser backs antitrust regulators
Alphabet's Google faced a potential setback on Thursday as an adviser to Europe's highest court sided with EU antitrust regulators in the company's fight against a record 4.34 billion euro ($4.98 billion) fine levied seven years ago. The European Commission in its 2018 decision said Google had used its Android mobile operating system to block rivals. A lower tribunal endorsed the EU finding in 2022 but trimmed the fine to 4.1 billion euros, prompting Google to appeal to Europe's top court. Advocate-General at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Juliane Kokott, in her non-binding opinion, advised the court to dismiss Google's appeal and confirm the reduced fine set by the lower tribunal. 'The legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective,' she said. Kokott dismissed Google's argument that regulators should compare Google with a rival in assessing the situation. 'It is not realistic, in the present case, to compare the situation of Google with that of a hypothetical as-efficient competitor. 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,' she said. Judges, who usually follow four out of five such non-binding opinions, will rule in the coming months. 'Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world,' a Google spokesperson said on Thursday. 'We are disappointed with the Opinion which, if it were followed by the Court, would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users, partners and app developers.' Regulators said Google's illegal practices dated back to 2011, as it required manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and its Chrome browser together with its Google Play app store on their Android devices. It paid them to pre-install only Google Search and blocked them from using rival Android systems. Google's Android system, which it lets device makers use for free, runs about 73% of the world's smartphones, according to Statcounter. The world's most popular internet search engine has racked up a total of 8.25 billion euros in fines linked to three investigations stretching back more than a decade, while other probes are ongoing. The case is C-738/22 P Google and Alphabet v Commission. ($1 = 0.8726 euros)
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.
15 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.
