The European Union (EU) court has left open the possibility that Google will not escape a €4.1 billion (about $4.7 billion) fine for violating competition law, after Juliane Kokott, the representative lawyer at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), provided a non-binding opinion recommending the court to dismiss the tech company's appeal.
Kokott calls on judges to uphold the lower court's ruling, supporting the European Commission's lawsuit against Google.
"In today's opinion, the representative lawyer Kokott suggested that the Court of Justice reject Google's appeal, upholding the ruling of the General Court," the ECJ press release in Luxembourg stated on Thursday.
This non-binding advice is followed by the ECJ in about 80% of its cases. The final decision is expected to be made by the end of this year.
If the court agrees with Kokott, this will conclude one of the most prominent antitrust disputes in the EU tech industry.
The European Commission continues to warn about Android's monopoly.
This ruling stems from a 2018 decision by the European Commission. The case focuses on Google's Android operating system, which holds about 75% of the global smartphone market.
The Commission accuses the tech company of exploiting Android's monopoly position to force device manufacturers into restrictive contracts, allowing Google to mandate pre-installation of apps like Chrome and Search as a condition for accessing the Play Store. The EU claims this limits consumer choice and disadvantages competitors.
Meanwhile, Margrethe Vestager, head of the Commission's competition department, stated that Google has used Android to reinforce its leading position in the search engine market.
The €4.34 billion fine from the EU is the largest ever imposed on a single company. In 2022, the EU General Court reduced the amount to €4.125 billion but upheld the main principles.
In this lawsuit, Google appealed to the ECJ, defending its actions, asserting that the measures they implemented benefit users and device manufacturers.
Google argues that Android promotes innovation and competition, allowing manufacturers to customize experiences and access popular Google services. Users can also install alternative apps if they wish.
In previous statements, the company claimed to be pleased that the Commission recognizes Android as an open platform and will maintain it as such.
However, EU regulators still 'reserve their position'. They argue that Google's copyright terms have closed off competition and reinforced the company's power in the search and mobile browser sector.
Google has not responded to Kokott's opinion on Thursday.
Europe intensifies regulation of the tech industry.
This lawsuit is part of a campaign to regulate major tech companies in Europe. The EU has become one of the most active global overseers of digital competition, privacy, and platform accountability.
Google has been fined multiple times in the EU, totaling over €8 billion, related to anti-competitive cases such as Google Shopping and AdSense.
Recently, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), effective from 2024, imposes stricter regulations on giants like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta, aimed at preventing platforms from favoring their own services and keeping users within their ecosystems.
Rulings like the Android case will help shape the limits that the EU can impose to regulate giant tech corporations in terms of competition.
Source: https://tintucbitcoin.com/google-co-the-thua-kien-android-47-ti/
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