Google Faces €4.34 Billion EU Antitrust Fine Over Android Practices

Google is bracing for a potential legal defeat in its appeal against a record €4.34 billion ($4.7 billion) EU antitrust fine. Advocate General Kokott has recommended that the Court of Justice uphold the lower court's ruling, siding with the European Commission's case. The non-binding opinion, which the ECJ follows in approximately 80% of cases, could mark the end of one of the EU's most high-profile tech antitrust battles.

The case stems from a 2018 European Commission decision that found Google Leveraged Android's dominance—powering 75% of global smartphones—to force restrictive contracts on device manufacturers. These agreements required pre-installation of Google apps like Chrome and Search as a condition for accessing the Play Store, a practice the EU deemed anti-competitive. Competition chief Margrethe Vestager argued Google used Android to cement its search engine dominance at the expense of rivals and consumer choice.