EU Court Adviser Recommends Reinstating €1.49 Billion Google Fine

An adviser to the Court of Justice of the European Union has recommended that the court reinstate a €1.49 billion antitrust fine against Google. The penalty was originally issued by the European Commission in 2019, targeting restrictive contract clauses Google used between 2006 and 2016 to prevent publishers from hosting search advertisements from competitors.

Although the General Court scrapped the fine in 2024, Advocate General Kokott argued that the lower tribunal applied excessive requirements regarding the duration of the practices. Kokott further stated that the General Court failed to properly assess Google's dominant market position.

The Court of Justice of the European Union is expected to issue a final ruling on the matter next year. This case is part of a broader history of regulatory conflict, representing one of six EU antitrust penalties totaling €10.38 billion imposed on the company over nearly two decades.