MENA Newswire News Desk: Google has successfully overturned a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) fine imposed by European Union regulators over its AdSense for Search product. In a decision announced Wednesday, the EU’s General Court annulled the fine, siding with the U.S. tech giant after it challenged the European Commission’s 2019 ruling that accused Google of abusing its market dominance.
The case, originally brought by the European Commission, alleged that Google restricted competition by imposing exclusive contracts with third-party websites, preventing rival advertisers from placing search ads on those sites. AdSense for Search allows website owners to display ads within their search results, and the commission argued that Google’s restrictive practices blocked competitors. The court ruled that the European Commission failed to account for all relevant factors when assessing the duration of the contract clauses that it deemed anti-competitive. Although the court upheld many of the commission’s findings, it ultimately annulled the fine.
A Google spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating, “This case is about a narrow subset of text-only search ads placed on a limited number of publishers’ websites. We removed the provisions in question from our contracts in 2016, even before the commission’s decision. We are pleased the court recognized errors in the original decision and annulled the fine.”
The European Commission acknowledged the ruling, saying it would reflect on potential next steps, including the possibility of an appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the EU’s highest court. The ruling is the latest development in a series of high-profile antitrust battles between U.S. tech companies and EU regulators.
Earlier this month, the ECJ upheld a €2.4 billion fine against Google for abusing its dominant position in the online shopping market. Additionally, Apple was recently ordered to pay €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland after a decade-long dispute. The commission’s regulatory battles with big tech firms continue to shape the competitive landscape in Europe, with further decisions expected in the months to come.
