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KUALA LUMPUR, JULI 2026 – Google has lost its final appeal in one of Europe’s biggest antitrust cases after the European Court of Justice upheld a €4.125 billion fine against the tech giant and its parent company, Alphabet.
The ruling by the European Union’s highest court brings an end to an eight-year legal battle that began in 2018, when the European Commission imposed a record €4.34 billion penalty on Google over its Android mobile operating system practices.
European regulators had accused Google of using Android’s dominant market position to strengthen its own services, particularly Google Search and the Chrome browser. The case focused on agreements that required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome if they wanted access to the Google Play Store.
In 2022, the General Court of the European Union largely upheld the European Commission’s findings but reduced the original fine from €4.34 billion to €4.125 billion. Google and Alphabet then brought the case to the European Court of Justice, seeking to overturn the penalty.
However, the ECJ rejected the appeal and confirmed the reduced fine. In its official statement, the court said it dismissed the appeal brought by Google and Alphabet, effectively maintaining the penalty imposed in the Android antitrust case.
The decision is seen as a major victory for European regulators, who have been increasing pressure on major technology companies through competition rules and the Digital Markets Act. The ruling also reinforces the EU’s position that dominant digital platforms must not use their market power to limit competition or reduce consumer choice.
Google, however, argued that the ruling did not properly consider the company’s investment in keeping Android open, compatible and free for device makers and users. The company also said it has changed its agreements with device manufacturers since 2018 to comply with the European Commission’s decision.
The case is one of several major EU antitrust actions involving Google over the past decade. European authorities have repeatedly scrutinised the company’s business practices across search, advertising and mobile software as regulators seek to create fairer conditions for competitors in the digital market.
