Google faces renewed EU antitrust fine risk over online advertising case
A long-running European Union competition case against Google regains momentum after a legal opinion challenges an earlier court ruling in the company's favor. The dispute centers on a €1.49 billion fine imposed seven years ago over anti-competitive practices in online advertising, with the European Commission seeking to restore the penalty.
Highlights
- An EU court adviser stated the General Court erred in annulling Google's €1.49 billion fine over online advertising, boosting the Commission's appeal.
- The European Commission's effort to reinstate the €1.49 billion antitrust penalty against Google gains momentum, keeping regulatory focus on digital advertising.
- Google continues to face heightened regulatory scrutiny in Europe as the EU's top court considers reinstating the multibillion-euro sanction, pending a final decision.
EU court opinion revives commission appeal
As reported by Reuters, an adviser to the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Thursday that a lower tribunal erred when it scrapped the fine against the U.S. tech group. The opinion marks a setback for Google in its effort to overturn the penalty linked to its online advertising practices.The General Court rejected the EU decision in 2024, prompting the European Commission to appeal to the Luxembourg-based top court. The fine at issue totals €1.49 billion, equivalent to about $1.7 billion at the exchange rate cited in the report.
Regulatory pressure remains in focus
The latest opinion does not itself settle the case, but it strengthens the Commission's push to reinstate one of the bloc's major antitrust penalties against a large technology company. The matter keeps attention on how EU authorities pursue competition enforcement in digital advertising markets.For Google, the case adds to ongoing regulatory scrutiny in Europe over its business practices and market power. A final ruling by the EU's highest court will determine whether the company ultimately remains liable for the multibillion-euro sanction.
As a reminder, we recently covered a Malaysian Court of Appeal ruling on commission partner liability under the Partnership Act 1961.
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