Google Loses Fight Against EU's $4.7 Billion Android Fine — 2nd Update

By Edith Hancock

Alphabet's Google lost a lengthy battle to overturn a fine of about $4.69 billion imposed by the European Union over requirements for device manufacturers deploying the tech giant's Android operating system.

The EU's Court of Justice--the bloc's top court--said Thursday that it upheld the 4.12 billion-euro fine following an appeal by Google.

"This judgment fails to recognize our significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free," Google said in response.

The decision is the culmination of a yearslong dispute over how Google uses its position in the digital economy to direct users to its own search engine on devices such as smartphones.

The European Commission--the EU's executive arm--fined Google a record 4.34 billion euros in 2018, alleging the company abused its dominant position in the digital economy through agreements that required manufacturers to preinstall its search engine and Chrome browser on Android devices in order to license the company's app store.

When Google challenged the original penalty in the EU's general court, judges in the lower tribunal lowered the fine but upheld the ruling. Google then appealed in the EU's highest court.

A Google spokesperson said Thursday that the company adapted its terms to comply with the original 2018 ruling.

It is the largest penalty the EU has handed the search giant in years of efforts to curb its dominance online.

The commission is also in the advanced stages of an investigation into the company's compliance with the Digital Markets Act, the EU's tech antitrust rulebook that entered into force in 2022. That law obliges companies classed as EU gatekeepers--like Google--to make it easier for rivals to compete with their widely popular services from search engines to app stores.

A commission spokesperson said officials took note of the ruling.

Earlier this week, a Swedish court ordered Google to pay Klarna close to $2 billion in damages after the "buy now, pay later" company won a 2022 antitrust case alleging Google gave preferential treatment to its own price-comparison service in its search results.

"We don't agree with the court's decision, we are reviewing and will consider our legal options," a Google spokesperson said about the Klarna case on Wednesday.

Write to Edith Hancock at edith.hancock@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 02, 2026 07:50 ET (11:50 GMT)