EU Court Dismisses Google Appeal on €4.1 Billion Fine

European Court of Justice upheld a €4.1 billion fine issued to Google by the European Commission for abuse of its Android operating system. The fine was first handed to the company in 2018.

It represents the largest penalty imposed by the EC on Google, trimmed from €4.3 billion to €4.1 billion in 2022, which Google appealed. The EC accused Google of abusing Android by requiring smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome as well as its Play Store, which prevented the use of alternative offerings and bolstered its own services. It was also charged with making payments to manufacturers and operators to exclusively pre-install Google Search.

Four years on from the appeal, the European Court of Justice has now dismissed the case, confirming it found the company guilty of anticompetitive practices relating to Android. Google hit out at the ruling, stating the judgement failed to recognise its significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free. The EC also hit Google with a €2.4 billion fine in 2017 for abusing its dominance in the shopping-comparison service segment and a €2.95 billion fine in September 2025 for an online advertising breach.