The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that Google’s refusal to allow Enel’s JuicePass app access to its Android Auto platform constitutes an abuse of its dominant market position, siding with Italy’s antitrust authority.
The decision, which is final and cannot be appealed, comes after the Italian watchdog fined Google 102 million euros in 2021 for blocking the e-mobility app - a tool designed to help drivers navigate and send messages safely while on the road.
Google had argued that its decision was based on security concerns and the absence of a clear template for refusing compatibility, contending that implementing interoperability would compromise the integrity of its platform. The company challenged the fine at the Italian Council of State, which subsequently sought guidance from the CJEU. Although Google has since enabled the requested feature, its stance during the dispute has raised broader questions about the responsibilities of dominant firms to ensure interoperability.
In its judgment, the CJEU noted, “A refusal by an undertaking in a dominant position to ensure that its platform is interoperable with an app of another undertaking, which thereby becomes more attractive, can be abusive.” However, the court also acknowledged that a company could justify its refusal if no standard template exists or if compatibility poses a security risk. In such cases, the dominant firm is expected to develop an appropriate template within a reasonable timeframe.
A Google spokesperson stated, “We prioritise building the features drivers need most because we believe that innovation should be driven by user demand, not specific companies' requests.” The spokesperson added that at the time of the request, the feature was relevant for only 0.04% of cars in Italy.
The ruling is expected to guide future actions by other dominant companies in similar situations. The Italian Council of State will now rule on Google’s appeal in line with the CJEU decision, as stakeholders across the technology and automotive sectors await further developments.
The European Union is set to press India to cut its high tariffs on key products such as cars and wine in an effort to boost bilateral trade, reduce reliance on China, and pave the way for a comprehensive free trade agreement, according to a senior EU official.
A 100 billion euros plan to support clean manufacturing in the EU has been proposed by the European Commission. The initiative seeks to help European industries tackle issues like high energy costs and competition from low-cost imports.
Overall car registrations in Europe, the UK, and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) fell by 2.1% in January, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). While fully electric vehicle (EV) sales surged by 37.3%, the sharp decline in sales of petrol and diesel mod
China urged the European Union to stop sanctioning Chinese companies and discrediting the country, its commerce ministry said on Tuesday, after Chinese entities and individuals were included in the EU's latest sanctions package against Russia.
Ukraine marked three years of war with Russia by hosting European leaders, while U.S. President Donald Trump's absence hinted at a shift towards Moscow. Donald Trump suggested the conflict could end soon and proposed major economic deals with Russia.
The White House denied access to an Associated Press photographer and three reporters from Reuters, HuffPost and Der Tagesspiegel.
"Türkiye has great potential in this direction", says Hakan Fidan, adding that Ankara is "strong, important" in the region.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek announced on Wednesday a significant reduction in the cost of its API usage during off-peak hours. Between 1630 GMT and 0030 GMT, developers integrating DeepSeek’s AI models via its API can expect savings of up to 75%.
In a move with potentially far-reaching implications for the tech industry in Europe, Italian tax authorities have extended their investigation to Elon Musk’s social network X, seeking €12.5 million in value-added tax (VAT) for the period 2016 to 2022, Reuters has reported.
A recent discovery has revealed that ancient artifacts from the Treasure of Villena were crafted using metal from meteorites, offering new insights into early metalworking techniques in the Iberian Peninsula.
Polish startup Clone Robotics has unveiled Protoclone, the world’s first anatomically accurate humanoid robot, featuring artificial muscles, bones, and joints that enable lifelike movements.
Berlin, February 21, 2025 – German citizens will head to the polls on Sunday, February 23, for a snap general election after the coalition government collapsed late last year.
The city of Buriticupu, in Brazil’s northeastern Amazon, is facing a worsening crisis as massive sinkholes continue to expand, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency. More than 1,200 residents are at risk of losing their homes.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek announced on Wednesday a significant reduction in the cost of its API usage during off-peak hours. Between 1630 GMT and 0030 GMT, developers integrating DeepSeek’s AI models via its API can expect savings of up to 75%.
penAI announced on Tuesday that its deep research tool - a web browsing agent designed to generate comprehensive research reports - will now be available to all paying ChatGPT users.
OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot platform ChatGPT keeps expanding with new features. The chatbot’s memory feature lets you save preferences so that chats are more tailored to you. ChatGPT also has an upgraded voice mode, letting you interact with the platform more or less in real time. It even offers a s
Adobe announced on Tuesday that it is launching its flagship design and photo editing software, Photoshop, as a dedicated app for the iPhone.
In a surprising move, Microsoft is reportedly reducing its data center footprint by canceling leases with several data center providers that together amount to a "couple hundred megawatts" of capacity - roughly equivalent to two full data centers.
The White House denied access to an Associated Press photographer and three reporters from Reuters, HuffPost and Der Tagesspiegel.
"Türkiye has great potential in this direction", says Hakan Fidan, adding that Ankara is "strong, important" in the region.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek announced on Wednesday a significant reduction in the cost of its API usage during off-peak hours. Between 1630 GMT and 0030 GMT, developers integrating DeepSeek’s AI models via its API can expect savings of up to 75%.
In a move with potentially far-reaching implications for the tech industry in Europe, Italian tax authorities have extended their investigation to Elon Musk’s social network X, seeking €12.5 million in value-added tax (VAT) for the period 2016 to 2022, Reuters has reported.
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