Antitrust: Google Fights Back As EU Fines Alphabet €4.34 billion

Google has promised to start a legal battle with the European Commission this week as its lawyers appeal against a €2.4bn (£2bn) fine.

Naija News learnt that the search giant was handed three different fines by the EU since 2017 over allegations that it favoured its own shopping results over results from rivals, that its Android software unfairly promoted its own apps, and that it blocked adverts from rival search engines.

The first of a trio of penalties could cost the company €8.2bn in total.

A hearing over a €2.4bn fine levied against the business over its shopping results will take place between Feb 12 and Feb 14 in the Luxembourg-based General Court.

The appeal will mark the start of Google’s legal attempt to overturn the fine after nearly 10 years of antitrust allegations from the EU.

Observers are  also keenly awaiting a ruling because it will have implications for other groups that both sell their products but also operate as platforms, potentially abusing their market power.