Google will appeal against €4.2 bn EU antitrust fine

Internet giant Google is appealing against a record 2.4 billion euro fine the European Commission handed down in June, 2017.

The world's most popular Internet search engine, a unit of the U.S. firm Alphabet, launched its appeal two months after it was fined by the European Commission for abusing its dominance in Europe by giving prominent placement in searches to its comparison shopping service and demoting rival offerings.

Speaking following the June ruling, the EU’s Competition Commissioner labelled the company’s activity illegal under the Union’s antitrust rules. Google said it “respectfully disagreed.”

Lobby group FairSearch, whose members include Google rivals such as British shopping comparison site Foundem and U.S. travel site TripAdvisor, said the EU decision was sound.

“The Commission’s decision stands on firm ground, both legally and factually, and we expect the Commission to win on appeal,” FairSearch lawyer Thomas Vinje said.

The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) ordered a lower tribunal last week to re-examine U.S. chipmaker Intel's appeal against a 1.06 billion euro fine, a rare setback for the Commission.
The Google case differs from Intel's, but the judgment has been welcomed by companies under EU scrutiny because it raises the bar for the regulator to prove wrongdoing.