Google Loses Lawsuit to Cancel 6 Trillion Won EU Fine

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[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jung] Google has effectively lost an administrative lawsuit seeking to cancel the €4.34 billion (?6 trillion) fine imposed by the European Union (EU) Commission in 2018 for abusing its market dominance.

According to major foreign media on the 14th, the EU General Court ruled that there was no issue with the Commission's decision in the lawsuit filed by Google to cancel the fine.

However, the amount of the fine was slightly adjusted to €4.125 billion (?5.7 trillion), which is 5% less than the original amount.

In 2018, the EU Commission imposed the fine on Google for abusing its dominance in the Android smartphone operating system (OS) market by requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google apps such as Chrome and Maps in order to use Google Play, thereby restricting consumer choice.

The €4.34 billion fine was the highest amount ever imposed by the EU for antitrust violations.

The court stated, "We agree with the EU Commission's decision that Google imposed restrictions on Android phone manufacturers to firmly establish its dominant position in the search engine market."

It added, "Considering the extent and duration of Google's infringement, the fine amount of €4.125 billion is appropriate."

Google can appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the EU's highest court.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.