Google successfully contested a €1.49 billion ($1.66 billion) antitrust fine imposed by the European Union in 2019.
- The EU’s General Court annulled the fine, highlighting the European Commission’s oversight in considering all relevant circumstances.
Why we care. This ruling is a notable victory for Google amidst its ongoing legal disputes with EU regulators and underscores the difficulties antitrust enforcers face in controlling Big Tech. It might also set a favorable precedent for Google in its ongoing case with the Department of Justice in the U.S.
The big picture. The case is part of a broader EU initiative to regulate tech giants, led by antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, who has experienced variable success in defending her decisions in court.
Details. The fine concerned Google’s AdSense platform and alleged anticompetitive practices from 2006 to 2016.
- The court concurred with several of the Commission’s assessments but found insufficient proof of harm to innovation, competition, and consumers.
- Google had already altered its contracts in 2016 to eliminate the relevant provisions.
Between the lines. This case focused on a specific subset of text-only search ads on certain publishers’ websites, which Google highlighted in its reaction to the ruling.
What’s next. The European Commission can appeal the ruling to the European Court of Justice on points of law.
- The Commission stated it would review the judgment and consider possible next steps.
Bottom line. This ruling emphasizes the ongoing legal challenges that both tech giants and regulators face in the intricate landscape of digital competition.
About the author
Anu Adegbola has been the Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video, and more. Anu began her career in 2008, focusing on delivering digital marketing campaigns, primarily in Paid Search. She developed strategies to maximize ROI, automate repetitive processes, and bring efficiency to marketing departments through inspiring leadership across agencies, clients, and the marketing tech side.
Outside editing Search Engine Land articles, she is the founder of the PPC networking event PPC Live and hosts the weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup. She is also an international speaker, having presented on stages including SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna), and more.
