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The European Court confirms a fine of €2.4 billion against Google for "abuse of dominant position"

The penalty joins another one announced by the same court against Apple for illegal state aid in Ireland and for which the technology company will have to repay the country the 14.3 billion dollars for undue tax benefits it received years ago.

(FILES) This picture taken on April 27, 2023 in Toulouse, southwestern France, shows a screen displaying the Google logo and the European flag. - A top court on September 10, 2024 delivered a victory for the European Commission by upholding a 2.4-billion-euro fine against Google, one of a string of high-profile EU competition cases targeting the tech giant. The European Court of Justice dismissed an appeal by Google and parent company Alphabet against the fine, levied in 2017 after Brussels found that Google abused its dominant position by favouring its own Google Shopping service in search results. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

Google logo on a smartphone with the European flag in the backgroundAFP.

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) on Tuesday upheld a €2.4 billion fine against Google which it sued for engaging in practices that violate European competition rules.

The CJEU dismissed an appeal by Google and upheld the fine applied by the General Court of the EU (GCeU) on the grounds that the Big Tech "abused its dominant position, by favoring its own product comparison services."

Alphabet, Google's parent company, had filed that appeal on the grounds that the Commission was wrong.

The EU fine against Google is one of several record penalties imposed for violating the bloc's competition rules.

Google faces another test next week, when the EU's top court will decide on a fine worth around €1.49 billion.

European regulators have set their sights on Google's ad service, for suspected abuse of dominant position, the subject of a specific investigation already launched in the United Kingdom.

THE CJEU recalled Tuesday that EU law does not prohibit the existence "in itself of a dominant position, but only its abusive exploitation."

EU celebrates "great victory" for "tax justice" after its rulings on Apple and Google

It was not the only decision made by the European Justice on the pending cases it had against two of the Big Tech by also ruling against Tim Cook's company, Apple.

Both rulings are a "major victory for Europeans and tax justice," European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, said in statements collected by AFP.

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) ruled that Apple must repay Ireland some €13 billion for illegal state aid, a ruling that joins the decision it made against Google.

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