An European Union court has largely upheld a record fine against Google for using the Android platform to cement its search engine’s dominance.
The €4.125bn (£3.5bn) penalty is the largest anti-trust fine ever handed down by the European Commission.
It said Google had breached its laws with by forcing Android phone-makers to carry its search and web browser apps in order to access the Google Play Store in 2018.
Google has since changed its terms.
The firm said it was “disappointed” by the verdict
“Android has created more choice for everyone, not less, and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world,” Google said in a statement.
The European General Court reduced the Commission’s original fine slightly in its final ruling on Google’s appeal on Wednesday, in order, it said, to reflect “the gravity and the duration” of the infringement.
“The General Court largely confirms the Commission’s decision that Google imposed unlawful restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices and mobile network in order to consolidate the dominant position of its search engine,” it said.
Recall Google is fighting a record €4.3bn ($4.9bn; £3.8bn) fine for allegedly using the Android operating system to “cement its dominance” as a search engine.
Google was accused of acting illegally because:
- it required Android handset and tablet manufacturers to pre-install the Google Search app and its own web browser Chrome as a condition for allowing them to offer access to its Play app store
- it made payments to large manufacturers and mobile network operators so that they agreed to exclusively pre-install the Google Search app on their devices
- it prevented manufacturers from selling any smart devices powered by alternative “forked” versions of Android by threatening to refuse them permission to pre-install its apps
Google’s version of Android does not prevent device owners downloading alternative web browsers or using other search engines.
